Photo By Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile via Getty Images
UFC boss Dana White separates Conor McGregor from Khabib Nurmagomedov at an event ahead of their UFC 229 fight, October 2018.
- Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov's recent social media exchange has been slammed by Dana White.
- The UFC boss has said the company will be taking action after McGregor called Nurmagomedov's wife "a towel" and the Russian wrestler replied by calling the Irishman a "rapist."
- White has said the UFC will be contacting both athlete camps.
- White previously said one of his dream fights included a rematch between the fighters.
Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov's escalating social media feud has been slammed as "unacceptable" by the UFC boss Dana White.
Though the Irishman announced his retirement from mixed martial arts last week, he has retained an active interest in its combatants and tweeted, then deleted, a photo post where he called Nurmagomedov's wife "a towel" on Tuesday.
Nurmagomedov responded on Wednesday with a photo tweet of his own. The picture was of a woman taking a selfie in the bathroom and appeared to show McGregor touching the woman's thighs.
Nurmagomedov told McGregor that "justice will find you" and twice called him a "rapist," a reference to a sexual assault allegation that the New York Times reported in March.
For White, this goes beyond the paremeters of what is acceptable and has said that the UFC will be taking action.
"I am aware of the recent social media exchange between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor," White said, according to Yahoo Sports reporter Kevin Iole.
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"The ongoing situation has escalated to a level that is unacceptable. As such, we are taking the necessary steps to reach out to both athlete camps and this situation is being addressed by all parties internally."
McGregor may be retired having previously been beaten by Nurmagomedov, but White recently hinted that this might not be for long.
White has refused to give the 30-year-old an equity stake in the business but said his dream fights include a Floyd Mayweather rematch in MMA, and a Nurmagomedov rematch, and appeared determined to negotiate McGregor's return when discussing the retirement with the media last week.
A rematch against Mayweather or Nurmagomedov would likely shatter box office records as the first fights are comfortably placed in the top three best-selling pay-per-view events in combat sports history.