MANY BELIEVE CONOR McGregor is already the biggest star the UFC has ever seen, but according to the president of the organisation, he’s still trailing Ronda Rousey.
The former UFC women’s bantamweight champion’s stock took a hit in November when she lost her title to Holly Holm following a second-round KO in Melbourne.
Four weeks later in Las Vegas, McGregor continued his remarkable progress by taking just 13 seconds to dispose of Jose Aldo to become the UFC featherweight champion.
But despite their contrasting fortunes at the end of 2015, Dana White has told Yahoo! Sports that Rousey is still out in front when it comes to stardom.
“Yeah. I think Ronda Rousey is the biggest star in the UFC. But let me tell you, Conor McGregor is nipping at her heels,” White said.
In another interview — this time with Sports Illustrated — White claimed that Rousey’s defeat to Holm hasn’t detrimentally impacted her status as the UFC’s highest-paid athlete.
“It would still be true,” White said. “Yes. Without a doubt. Holly Holm is now facing Miesha Tate, which is a very dangerous fight, but if the Holly Holm-Ronda Rousey rematch happens, I think it’s the biggest fight in UFC history.”
White also added that Rousey will “100 percent” fight in 2016, having revealed earlier this week that she won’t be ready to return for UFC 200 on 9 July.
