UFC president Dana White was unfazed by what he views as Conor McGregor just "being a fan" during his recent in-ring appearance at a bare-knuckle boxing event.
The promotional boss is currently working on bringing back Irish legend McGregor for a bout with Michael Chandler later this year after he filmed a season of The Ultimate Fighter in Las Vegas, which will air later this month. But he had no update when asked for the latest update on that bout last night by Mirror Fighting.
What White could offer was his view on McGregor's antics the previous weekend, where he was seen downing whiskey straight from the bottle before getting into the ring for BKFC and having a face-off with their star fighter Mike Perry. The Irishman has been enjoying his time off, but expects to return to training shortly for the Chandler fight.
"Listen, a few people have asked me about this," White admitted. "But when you're in the business like we're in the business sometimes it's just fun to go along and be a fan, I think that's what Conor was doing that night and I have no problem with it whatsoever."
Perry picked up a victory over former middleweight world champion Luke Rockhold with McGregor watching on from ringside in an impromptu appearance. And the UFC superstar was called into the ring after Perry's win where he shook hands with the American before coming face-to-face as if the pair were building up to a fight.
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McGregor has often teased a potential return to boxing given his background in the sport, with bare-knuckle now apparently on the agenda as well. Perry left the sold-out crowd stunned after making a call to the former two-weight UFC champion, but believes that McGregor should explore his options if he is to progress beyond Chandler.
However, White is not particular worried, telling Barstool Sports earlier this week: "I think Conor went out and was having fun and got caught up in the moment. The dude called him into the ring. You know, he did it. I also saw him pounding a bottle of Proper Twelve.
"I’m sure that had something to do with it, too. Listen, man. At the end of the day, Conor has done a lot here. He’s made a lot of money. The guy is out having fun and it’s all good. Not at all (was I bothered). Not even a little bit."
