#Conor McGregor, Dana White feud escalates after exposed messages

It may just be Conor McGregor vs. Dana White in the octagon soon.

On Sunday morning, McGregor tweeted that White should “stop lying,” in reference to comments White has previously made about the former double champion’s desire to fight in a potential boxing match against Manny Pacquiao.

Just two days earlier, McGregor took to Twitter to post several screenshots of Instagram direct messages between him and White from earlier this year. The screenshots, which have since been deleted, revealed that McGregor wanted to stay active this year and schedule at least three fights.

The 32-year-old McGregor brought up potential 2020 fights with top lightweight contender Justin Gaethje, as well as Diego Sanchez. White dismissed the notion of a Sanchez fight in one of his replies.

Having fought just once this year, a knockout victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in January, McGregor said coming into 2020 that he wanted to have a “season” with three fights. That obviously did not happen in part due to the coronavirus pandemic as well as disagreements with the UFC.

In an Instagram post Saturday, McGregor wrote that it was “borderline criminal” that he has been kept on the sidelines. McGregor did announced on Twitter in June that he was retired from the UFC. He also tweeted Friday that he plans to fight Pacquiao in boxing next. And on Monday night, he exchanged tweets with Dustin Poirier in which the two discussed a potential charity exhibition fight.

“The biggest number generator in the game asking for four fights since February this year and getting left on seen,” McGregor wrote on Instagram. “It’s pretty f–ked up when I keep thinking of it. I’ve been right here this whole time.”

White responded to the McGregor drama — and specifically the screenshots of their messages — at the UFC 253 post-fight news conference early Sunday morning in Abu Dhabi.

“This is some man-code stuff,” White told reporters at UFC 253 over the weekend. “It’s just something you don’t do. It’s one of the dirtiest things you can do.”

As far the Pacquiao fight is concerned, White said, “I have no idea.”

“You guys have been asking me about Conor McGregor forever,” White told reporters. “Did you see Conor McGregor’s tweet? The retirement tweet. ‘I’m retired.’”

McGregor, who is still under contract with the UFC, continued to blast White Sunday, tweeting that it was White who violated the code when he lied about him “turning down fights” earlier this year. McGregor also claims that White is aware of the potential Pacquiao fight and that he has the “legal letters” to prove it.

In order to go through with the boxing match against Pacquiao, McGregor would need the promotion’s approval.