White: McGregor blew Khabib rematch

UFC president Dana White says Conor McGregor's recent actions cost himself a rematch with lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

White confirmed Wednesday that the promotion was eyeing a season of "The Ultimate Fighter" featuring Nurmagomedov and McGregor as the coaches, and then a rematch between the two stars.

But after McGregor released a private conversation between he and White from earlier in 2020 and accused the executive of lying about the Irishman turning down fights, Nurmagomedov apparently nixed those plans.

"(Khabib) was gonna do it until Conor did all this shit," White told Barstool Sports' Robbie Fox. "That's what I was saying. I felt like I was in a good place and I was gonna get that done. So, we were gonna do 'The Ultimate Fighter' on ESPN, and f------ do the rematch. But, you know, Conor blew that.

"Khabib said, 'F--- him,'" White added.

Nurmagomedov's manager Ali Abdelaziz was the first to reveal that the UFC wanted to do a season of "The Ultimate Fighter" with the Russian titleholder and McGregor.

"I talked with Khabib yesterday, and he said, 'This man is human trash. He's garbage,'" Abdelaziz said Tuesday. "(Khabib) said, 'When you touch shit, you smell shit.' He said, 'He doesn't earn to fight me. You understand? He doesn't earn to fight me.'"

Nurmagomedov and McGregor fought in October 2018 following a lengthy and personal feud, with the former earning a fourth-round submission win to retain the 155-pound title.