Dana White: McGregor will fight at Croke Park if he beats Aldo at UFC 194

Conor McGregor's UFC dream of fighting at the famed Croke Park Stadium in Dublin could become a reality if he beats Jose Aldo at UFC 194.

'The Notorious' was originally scheduled to challenge Aldo for the featherweight title in Las Vegas at UFC 189, but the reigning champ pulled out at the last minute citing a rib injury. UFC gold was still up for grabs, but the Irishman had to settle for the interim 145 lbs. championship when he TKO'd late replacement Chad Mendes in the main event.

Speaking to the NRL Footy Show in Australia the other day, UFC president Dana White promised that McGregor's first title defense would headline Croke Park if he unifies the titles in December.

"If he beats Jose Aldo in Las Vegas in December, the next fight will be in Croke Park," White said. "We told him he could defend his title at Croke Park."

The head promoter has flirted with the idea of booking Croke Park in the past, but the venture isn't without its obstacles. In order to cater to the American audience, the event would have to launch at the standard 10 p.m. ET start time, which would translate to a 3:00 a.m. start in Dublin.

There's also the issue of permits and the chance of rain, which Dana White addressed earlier in the year.

"They have a curfew at night where you can't get permits to stay out that late and do an event there," he said.

"You lose about 25 to 30 percent on pay-per-view being in another country. The amount of money for production for Croke Park, being outside - I can guarantee you it's going to rain. I'm not a meteorologist, but I'll bet you it's going to rain."

Conor McGregor will collide with Jose Aldo in a featherweight title unification bout at UFC 194 on December 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.