Dana White: McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov Would Have to Be in Las Vegas, Not Russia

Conor McGregor’s future remains uncertain as he awaits trial in New York for his attack on a bus carrying fighters and employees ahead of UFC 223.

Just don’t expect the promotion to make the first move when it comes to doling out punishment to the sport’s biggest star.

“He’s gotta be punished by the law first,” White told TMZ Sports. “Let’s see what happens in New York.”

McGregor has been charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of criminal mischief after throwing a dolly through the window of the bus at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. As a result, fighters Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg suffered injuries from the shattered glass and were forced to withdraw from UFC 223. A company employee was also injured during the melee.

McGregor posted $50,000 bail after his arrest, and is next hearing is scheduled for June 14. While White strongly voiced his displeasure in the immediate aftermath of the incident, he seemed to soften his stance somewhat following the conclusion of UFC 223.

“We talked. It’s good,” White said at the UFC 223 post-fight presser. “I think that there’s a mutual respect between us and obviously this week, I had so many things thrown at me. To focus on this show was insane. We’ll get back and we’ll focus on Conor McGregor.”

McGregor was stripped of his lightweight title, which Khabib Nurmagomedov claimed with a five-round verdict over Al Iaquinta in the UFC 223 main event. Now, a Nurmagmoedov vs. McGregor showdown looms as one of the biggest fights the promotion can make.

However, White says it won’t take place in Russia, as the UFC is expected to debut in Nurmagomedov’s homeland in the near future.

“If you do a fight that big, you’ve got to do it in Vegas,” White told TMZ. “Khabib will fight in Russia at some point, but it won’t be that fight. It’s too big. You gotta do it in Vegas.”