White: Usman's next title defense won't be vs. McGregor

Dana White has shut down a potential welterweight title fight between champion Kamaru Usman and Conor McGregor.

The UFC president said Wednesday that Usman's next title defense will come against either former opponent Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, or Leon Edwards.

"It's gonna be one of those guys," White told ESPN's Phil Murphy. "It's not gonna be Conor McGregor."

Usman has been expected to face top contender Masvidal for months, especially after their run-in on Super Bowl radio row in February. But talks of that fight potentially happening this summer stalled after the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the UFC's schedule.

Earlier this week, Usman's manager Ali Abdelaziz said they would ask to fight McGregor if the Masvidal bout didn't come to fruition. In recent days, Masvidal has angled for a BMF rematch with Nate Diaz - whom he beat at UFC 244 last November - on social media.