Exclusive: Dana White ready for 'insane' UFC 300 card, discusses potential Conor McGregor return to Octagon

ByThe Editorial Team

Published 13/12/2023 at 13:59 GMT

UFC president Dana White is already looking to UFC 300 next year and is promising to put on an "insane" card that confounds people from the very first preliminary fight. He has also told TNT Sports that he is waiting for former world champion Conor McGregor to be ready for a return to the sport after he lost his trilogy rematch to Dustin Poirier two years ago.

Dana White on Edwards v Covington, Aspinall and McGregor return

Speaking ahead of UFC 296, which is exclusively live on TNT Sports Box Office on Saturday night, Dana White says he is ready to put on an “insane” card for UFC 300 as he anticipates Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon.

Previous centenary events for the MMA franchise have taken on a celebratory tone as the organisers have attempted to make some of the biggest cards in fighting history, and White is looking forward to meeting that challenge once more.

White pointed out that this weekend’s UFC 296 event features a welterweight title fight between champion Leon Edwards and Colby Covington, with Alexandre Pantoja defending his flyweight strap against Brandon Royval as the co-main event. That means that 300 will have to exceed the standards that White has already met.

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Speaking exclusively to TNT Sports, he said: “The difference between a 300 is - if you look at the card this weekend, it’s awesome - you want to build these amazing cards that make people lose their mind.

“There’s also much more to it with 300, what is the feel of the show going to be? We put on a live event and a television show too. What are we going to build around the event? What’s going to make 300 more special than this Saturday night, the last pay per view of the year?”

He then raised expectations, adding: “What you can expect is the first prelim of the night, you’re going to go ‘Holy s***! This is the first prelim of the night, this is insane, this isn’t even right. These two shouldn't be on the first prelim on the night' That is how good 300 is going to be.”

White was asked about the possibility of Conor McGregor making his long awaited return to combat, with the former world champion out of action since his 2021 trilogy series defeat to Dustin Poirier.

While the Irishman continues to tease a return to action, there is no firm date set for a new fight and he continues to chase the limelight and success in other areas.

White acknowledged that McGregor is no longer fighting to make a living, but will only be back when he feels he needs to be.

UFC 296: Leon Edwards v Colby Covington - Michael Bisping promotes 'contender v champion'

He explained: “At the end of the day, I say it all the time. Conor is extremely wealthy, he has a lot of different options in his life.

“When Conor gets that hunger back and really wants to come back and fight, it’s all up to him.

“If you look at what the guy has accomplished in such a short amount of time. The amount of money he’s made, the business opportunities he’s taking on outside of the Octagon. Conor can do whatever the hell Conor wants to do, and good for him.”

WHAT TIME DOES EDWARDS V COVINGTON START?

The broadcast of the preliminary card will be available for TNT Sports subscribers to watch on TNT Sports 1 and discovery+ from 01:00. The main card will start from 03:00 and will be available exclusively on TNT Sports Box Office.

HOW TO WATCH EDWARDS V COVINGTON IN THE UK ON TV

UFC 296: Edwards vs. Covington costs £19.99 in the UK and can be watched through EE TV, Virgin Media TV and Sky, online via the web or the TNT Sports Box Office App. You do not need to be a TNT Sports subscriber to buy this event.

Sky customers can purchase TNT Sports Box Office on channel 490 via their remote control or via https://www.sky.com/boxoffice/tnt-sports

Customers in the Republic of Ireland can purchase TNT Sports Box Office via Sky at https://www.sky.com/boxoffice/tnt-sports - €29.99 or €34.99 (on the day)

Virgin Media TV customers in the UK: customers with a TiVo and/or V6 set-top-box should visit the On-Demand section and choose Live Events; customers with a Virgin TV 360 and/or Stream set-top-box should go to the Pay Per View rail

EE TV customers can go to channel 494 and pay using their remote control.

Viewers wanting to watch the fight online should visit www.tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice and follow instructions to subscribe and watch on the web or on the TNT Sports Box Office App, customers can choose to watch on the big screen using Google Chromecast and Apple Airplay.

EE, Three, Vodafone and O2 customers watching online or via the TNT Sports Box Office App can choose to add the payment to their mobile bill.

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