UFC 219 on December 30th is a pretty good looking card already, but one thing it's missing is a marquee main event at the top. But good news for any of you folks considering a New Year's Eve weekend in Las Vegas: Dana White says the card will have its main event locked in within the week, and it could still be Conor McGregor.
That's via Lance Pugmire, who was just talking to White when he revealed the UFC was getting into boxing.
Dana White says he’ll hash out the UFC 219 main event for Las Vegas by the end of the week and said @TheNotoriousMMA return “will be in Vegas” and “could be” on that Dec. 30 date.
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) November 8, 2017
"Dana White says he’ll hash out the UFC 219 main event for Las Vegas by the end of the week," Pugmire wrote. "And said Conor McGregor's return 'will be in Vegas' and 'could be' on that December 30th date."
White has been holding out hope that McGregor would return to the UFC by the end of 2017 since Mayweather vs. McGregor was announced, almost to the point where some believe a fast turnaround for the UFC lightweight champion was part of the deal for allowing him to box. But at the time, McGregor was under the impression that another fight would be the key to topping the Forbes Highes Paid Athletes List.
"What was really making me want to do the December 30 fight was the Forbes list," McGregor said during the MayMac World Tour. "I thought I had more time to hit the number 1 spot this year, so if I fought Floyd and then the December fight that would put me at the number 1 spot, but it's actually July to July."
Since then, McGregor said he'd consider returning by the end of the year if the UFC allowed him to skip all the promotional requirements. But we're getting awfully close to the date, and McGregor has been living the high life since losing to Mayweather in the 10th round back in August. We'd say it's a long shot that he returns for UFC 219, which is too bad for fans and the UFC because there aren't a lot of other championship fight options out there. Maybe Cyborg vs. Holm?
“What everyone thinks is not necessarily what will happen,” @danawhite says of speculation the @criscyborg @HollyHolm fight going on UFC 219.
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) November 8, 2017
Cyborg-Holm looking less and less likely right now. Hit major road block. https://t.co/SHfiSLU0vE
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) November 8, 2017
Oh.
Here's UFC 219 as it stands right now:
- Edson Barboza vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
- Dominick Cruz vs. Jimmie Rivera
- Cynthia Calvillo vs. Carla Esparza
- Matheus Nicolau vs. Louis Smolka
- Carlos Condit vs. Neil Magny
- Khalil Rountree vs. Gokhan Saki
- Rick Glenn vs. Myles Jury
- Emil Meek vs. Kamaru Usman
- Marc Diakiese vs. Dan Hooker