MMA analyst Chael Sonnen has given his thoughts on why Dana White seemingly trusts Conor McGregor more than Jon Jones heading into next summer's UFC White House event.
It's no secret that the UFC White House show is going to be an absolutely huge deal for the promotion if it happens. Dana White seems to be very serious about getting it done and more often than not, when that dynamic develops, he doesn't stop until it becomes official.
Recently, Jon Jones and Conor McGregor have made it known they want to compete at the White House - but Dana White seemed to be more comfortable with the idea of McGregor fighting on that card than Jones. In a recent video, Chael Sonnen explained why he thinks that's the case.
Chael Sonnen on Dana White, Conor McGregor and Jon Jones
"Jon really wants on the card. Jon did something that was deemed underhanded in his negotiations with Aspinall. This gets made public. Jon apologizes. He went to Dana White in a text message. Dana said, 'I let it be known that I didn't like how this whole thing went down with Aspinall.
"I thought that we had had an agreement. I'm not cool with that.' And Jon came to him and apologized, said, 'I'm sorry how this whole thing went down with Tom.' And that goes a long way. I’m just following the golden rule in life, but put myself in Dana's shoes. If I get this apology from Jon, that goes a long way. It doesn't heal everything, but it means something."
"Conor McGregor would be the go-to guy. Dana White gave Conor a tremendous compliment, saying, 'Man, I can count on him. If I got a deal with him and things go awry—and they always do—he will do what he says, which is compete at the agreed-upon weight class for the agreed-upon price with whoever it ends up being.'
"That’s a big deal, especially for your top draw. Of the 700-plus athletes under contract, they're all hearing that compliment. It does change with top draws—they get a little more difficult and if you change part of the deal, they see it as their right to change their part, which just means more money. So, Dana paying that compliment to Conor is a big deal."
