Dana White: Conor McGregor leaking private messages 'one of the dirtiest things you can do'

UFC president asked his thoughts on the situation following UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi

Israel Adesanya kicks Paulo Costa during their middleweight title bout at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

UFC President Dana White places the championship belt on Israel Adesanya after defeating Paulo Costa in their middleweight title bout at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Israel Adesanya lands a kick to the head of Paulo Costa during their middleweight title fight at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC c

Paulo Costa punches Israel Adesanya during their middleweight title bout at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Jan Blachowicz of Poland celebrates after defeating Dominick Reyes in their light heavyweight championship bout at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC v

Jan Blachowicz of Poland punches Dominick Reyes in their light heavyweight championship bout at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Sijara Eubanks punches Ketlen Vieira in their women's bantamweight bout at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Ketlen Vieira punches Sijara Eubanks in their women's bantamweight bout at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Hakeem Dawodu punches Zubaira Tukhugov in their featherweight bout during UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Zubaira Tukhugov punches Hakeem Dawodu in their featherweight bout during UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Brandon Royval kicks Kai Kara France in their flyweight bout during UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Kai Kara France punches Brandon Royval in their flyweight bout during UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Jan Blachowicz punches Dominick Reyes in their light heavyweight championship bout during UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Dominick Reyes punches Jan Blachowicz in their light heavyweight championship bout during UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Khabib Nurmagomedov corners Zubaira Tukhugov of Russia inside Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Hakeem Dawodu of Canada reacts after defeating Zubaira Tukhugov of Russia in their featherweight bout. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Sijara Eubanks kicks Ketlen Vieira of Brazil in their women's bantamweight bout. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Ketlen Vieira of Brazil after defeating Sijara Eubanks in their women's bantamweight bout. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Brandon Royval attempts to submit Kai Kara France of New Zealand in their flyweight bout. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

Brandon Royval reacts after submitting Kai Kara France of New Zealand in their flyweight bout. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

UFC president Dana White seems not best pleased with Conor McGregor for publicly sharing screenshots of a private conservation between the pair, describing it as “one of the dirtiest things you can do”.

On Friday, McGregor released images on his social media taken from his phone of an exchange with White back in February, in which the Irishman stressed his willingness to fight multiple times this year.

In the messages, McGregor can be seen discussing a potential bout with Justin Gaethje, while also expressing his reluctance to serve as a stand-in for the clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson should either fighter withdraw from the then-scheduled UFC 249. McGregor has competed only once this year, in January, and in June announced he was retiring from fighting.

On Sunday, following UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi, White was asked about the leaked conversation, to which he replied: “Listen, I’ve had people blowing me up left and right. Everybody here knows, this is some man-code stuff. It’s just something you don’t do. It’s one of the dirtiest things you can do.”

White seemed to take particular exception to the section of the conversation regarding Diego Sanchez, in which White rejected McGregor’s request to the fight because, in his words, the UFC would lose its promoter’s license if it was booked.

“Diego Sanchez was in there, in a private conversation that I was having with Conor,” White said. “When you’re the No 2- or 3-ranked guy in the world, and you’re telling me that you want to fight, but you want to fight unranked, 39-year-old Diego Sanchez in a main event in Los Angeles… you know.”

White was asked also about McGregor’s apparent upcoming crossover fight with Manny Pacquiao. The former two-division UFC champion tweeted on Friday that he was taking on the Filipino boxer in a boxing match in the Middle East at the end of this year.

However, despite the management company behind the bout telling The National that the UFC were fully supportive, White played it straight on Sunday, saying he "had no idea" if the fight would actually materialise.

UFC president Dana White in a press conference on Yas Island ahead of UFC 253. Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC

In contrast, White was extremely complimentary of Israel Adesanya, who prevailed in the headline event at UFC 253 against the previously unbeaten Paulo Costa to retain his middleweight belt. Adesanya, who moved to 20-0, saw off the Brazilian in the second round in a hugely dominant performance. White had previously tipped the encounter to be fight of the year.

“So much for fight of the year, but domination of the year," he said. "If you look at every fight that Costa has had, he comes out and goes after people like they owe him money. And I think he landed one jab.

“Adesanya just went to work, picked him apart, piece-by-piece. And made it look really easy. But you can’t be disappointed when you have somebody that’s as talented as Adesanya is and he comes out and imposes his will and literally dismantles a guy as good and as tough as Costa. Adesanya shut him down tonight and absolutely put on a clinic and destroyed him. You can’t be upset by that.”

Meanwhile, White said a fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Leon Edwards is not booked, as had been reported, while confirming he is likely to pit Jorge Masvidal against Colby Covington next instead of a rematch with Nate Diaz.