Dana White believes the same thing that ‘ruins’ careers derailed Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov

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According to Dana White, money might have played a role in how things ended for two of the UFC’s biggest names.

McGregor was already huge in the sport, but things changed after his massive payday against Floyd Mayweather. The $100 million he earned from that boxing match seemed to mark a turning point in his MMA career.

Khabib Nurmagomedov also walked away from fighting after becoming very wealthy, retiring at just 32 years old back in 2020.

White has often wondered if things would’ve turned out differently for both fighters if they hadn’t become so financially secure early on.

White claims money impacted McGregor and Khabib’s careers

Dana White didn’t hold back when asked about the impact money has had on the careers of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

In an interview with Nick Turturro, White was asked whether McGregor’s massive payday against Mayweather played a role in his decline.

“Money ruins everything,” White replied. “So, once you get too much money involved in the fight business… if you look at Conor, Conor made so much money, and that was it.”

Khabib retired at just 32 after the death of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Before stepping away from fighting, he had earned substantial sums during tours across Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar.

White linked Khabib’s decision to both financial success and personal loss: “And his dad passed away, which I think had a lot to do with him not wanting to do it anymore.”

McGregor eyes return while Khabib remains retired

Khabib Nurmagomedov has remained firm in his decision to stay retired, even though fans are still hoping for a comeback.

Meanwhile, Conor McGregor has been teasing a return ever since he broke his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021.

The 37-year-old has been fit for some time now, but various issues have kept him from stepping back into the Octagon.

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At the moment, he’s serving an 18-month suspension for failing to provide anti-doping officials with accurate whereabouts information on three occasions.

McGregor will be eligible to fight again on March 20, 2026, just before his planned comeback date two months later. The hope is that he’ll face Michael Chandler at the UFC White House card next June.