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White slams McGregor: Releasing texts is 'one of the dirtiest things you can do'

Jeff Bottari / UFC / Getty

Dana White blasted Conor McGregor Saturday night after the former two-division champion released a private text conversation with the UFC president earlier this week.

"Listen, I've had people blowing me up left and right. Everybody here knows, even the ladies: this is some man-code stuff," White said at the UFC 253 postfight press conference, according to MMA Fighting. "It's just something you don't do. It's one of the dirtiest things you can do."

McGregor on Friday revealed a series of Instagram direct messages between him and White from earlier in 2020, in which he asked the UFC boss for a fight against veteran Diego Sanchez, who lost to Jake Matthews at Saturday's pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Also included in the messages was McGregor's explanation for not wanting to fill in on short notice at UFC 249, and the Irishman clamoring for a bout earlier than International Fight Week in July, which White said was the earliest date available.

"When you're the No. 2- or 3-ranked guy in the world, and you're telling me you want to fight, but you want to fight unranked, (38)-year-old Diego Sanchez in a main event in Los Angeles, you know," White said.

McGregor responded to White in a tweet Sunday morning, telling the executive to "stop lying."

"Code was broke when you lied about me turning down fights, mate," McGregor wrote. "I said Justin (Gaethje) in May and you went and said I did not want to fight. It's not about Diego. Diego was a filler to get more fights in."

McGregor said in June that he was retiring from mixed martial arts. He's reportedly in talks to face boxing legend Manny Pacquiao in the ring in December or January.

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