Conor McGregor has always been a favorite of Dana White. White recently praised McGregor for his elite mentality and even compared him to Muhammad Ali. McGregor is renowned for his trash-talking abilities.
Inside the octagon, the Irishman's mixed martial arts abilities rarely failed to impress spectators. However, his sharp tongue and quick wit kept fans amused outside the cage.
'The Notorious' has used his trash-talking skills to intimidate a lot of his opponents over the years. The legendary UFC fighter Jose Aldo was reportedly furious with the Irishman for his constant trash talk. Aldo thus rushed at McGregor when the two finally engaged in a fight, only to be knocked out in 13 seconds.
However, dedicated boxing fans are aware that Ali had been treating his opponents the same way long before McGregor entered combat sports.
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
In a recent episode of FLAGRANT, UFC CEO spoke to Andrew Schulz about McGregor's current situation. Schulz wanted to raise the possibility that Mcgregor is genuinely tricking everyone with his mind games. White disagreed but he did draw a comparison between Ali and McGregor, saying:
''I don't give a f**k what anybody says. Ali and Conor are on the same level when it comes to mental warfare. They are the two best of all time when it comes to mental warfare."
White added:
''He's [McGregor] picked rounds. I mean, the mental warfare this guy had on so many of his fighters. And he would make these guys play into his game, get into their heads. F**ing embarrass them, outwit them in every way, shape or form. He is literally at Ali's level when it came to mental warfare."
Check out Dana White's comments below (1:09:53):
When Dana White claimed that Conor McGregor had surpassed Muhammad Ali in mental warfare
Conor McGregor has often been compared to Muhammad Ali. Both men were skilled at mental warfare and never shied away from expressing their opinions. Their vocal prowess drew fans from across the world.
UFC CEO Dana White once claimed that McGregor might be better than Ali in terms of mental warfare. During the press conference before UFC 229, White said:
''Conor McGregor is the master of mental warfare. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: He’s better than anybody. Even (Muhammad) Ali. You don’t want to say anybody’s better than Ali, but I think when it comes to the mental war game in this sport, or any other sport, Conor McGregor is the best ever.'' [H/t: USA Today]