Dana White tried to tell Demetrious Johnson there was a fighter better than him in his prime.
Back then, it was tough to debate against Demetrious Johnson being the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world. The legendary flyweight champion notably broke the record for most title defenses in UFC history at 11 with a flying armbar of all submissions in 2017.
Johnson long reigned at the top of the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings up until two-division champion Daniel Cormier won his second title over heavyweight king Stipe Miocic in 2018.
Not everybody agreed with Johnson being #1 pound-for-pound, especially not UFC boss Dana White.
Demetrious Johnson says Dana White once told him Conor McGregor was the UFC’s best pound-for-pound fighter
Speaking to Israel Adesanya, Johnson revealed White had actually told him to his face that he shouldn’t have been the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in 2017.
White’s pick instead? Former two-division champion and prized superstar Conor McGregor.
“Dana White, I’ll never forget,” Johnson said of the UFC boss on Young Man Ramble.
“We’re at a Snoop Dogg concert. It’s me, Dana White, we’re talking. He’s drinking Bud Light. And I’m sitting there just chilling. And he goes, you know what? You’re not the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
“And I was like, okay. He goes, you know who is? I was like, who? He was like, ‘Conor McGregor…
“‘You know why? Cause he would fight anybody…’
“I was like, guy just got f—— knocked out, what are you talking about?” Johnson said as McGregor was TKO’ed by Floyd Mayweather in boxing in August of that year.
“I think he was trying to negotiate, trying to get me to go up and fight TJ [Dillashaw]. And I was like, oh, just pay me a million dollars…
“But I respect the fact that he told me that in my face,” Johnson said of White’s comments.
“I’d rather somebody tell me the honest truth about me, how they feel about me in front of my face, instead of giving me flowers in front of my face [and] talk s— behind your back.”
Conor McGregor rose to #2 in pound-for-pound rankings in 2016
McGregor peaked in 2016 when he knocked out Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC 205.
In less than 12 months, McGregor had wins at featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight, and the Irishman neared the top of the pound-for-pound rankings when he became the first fighter in UFC history to hold belts in two weight classes simultaneously.
After accomplishing the feat against Alvarez, McGregor was ranked as high as #2 pound-for-pound.
The only fighter that McGregor trailed was the greatest flyweight of all time Demetrious Johnson, who defended his title for a ninth time a month after.