Conor McGregor has been warned he could be stripped of his UFC lightweight title if he doesn’t fight again until September, The Daily Mail reported.
McGregor has not fought in the cagefighting octagon since November 2016 and the division has been put on hold since.
UFC president Dana White revealed that the 155-pound McGregor planned to only make his comeback towards the end of the year – a move White thinks is unfair to the champion’s competitors.
“If he waits – I don’t think Conor wants to fight until August but if he waits until August or September, that’s around two years since the belt has been defended and that can’t happen,” White said, per Fox Sports.
White said the Irish fighter had an obligation to the sport as well as other fighters to defend his title.
“Time is your enemy in this sport,” White said, adding that the UFC could not let “this thing go on forever” and not allow other fighters an opportunity.
“Love Conor, respect Conor, love everything that he's done for this company — everybody knows that; I say it all the time. The belt would have to move on,” White remarked, per the Daily Mail.
Should McGregor be stripped of his lightweight belt, it would mark the first time that he has not held some form of title in the sport, Bleacher Report said.
Meanwhile, interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson is preparing to go up against undefeated top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov for the title, MMA Mania noted.
Commenting on the fight, White said: “You do Khabib versus Tony, we’re working on that fight now. If and when Conor comes back, he would get the first crack at the title.”
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