Xzibit On Sticking With Conor McGregor In His “Dark Times”

Xzibit recently opened up about his strong support for Conor McGregor and the origins of their professional relationship.

The former Pimp My Ride host spoke about McGregor during his recent appearance on the Bootleg Kev podcast, which follows the UFC fighter’s conviction in a civil sexual assault case in Ireland in November 2024. The West Coast rapper, who signed with McGregor’s Greenback Records last year, shared insights into what makes their collaboration unique and why he stands by the MMA superstar despite his recent legal issues. Xzibit began by describing how the partnership came to be, recounting a trip to Ireland where he met McGregor’s team.

“We went out to Marbella, Spain, well, first we went to Ireland and I met the team of people that he [McGregor] wants to form Greenback Records with,” Xzibit explained. “These people have worked in the buildings. They’ve been in there. They’re music people with the business people. So I wanted to check that out. I was like, okay, cool. That makes me feel a lot better.”

The meeting led to further discussions with McGregor himself, culminating in Xzibit witnessing the bare-knuckle boxing scene in Spain. “That’s basically how it happened,” he said. “When we came home, it was just like, okay, it’s time to go. We’re gonna push go and we pushed the button. That sh*t’s working.”

Xzibit emphasized that McGregor’s approach to the music industry is what sets him apart from other athletes who have tried to launch record labels. “We’ve seen athletes try to do the label thing. But usually, it’s like football players and basketball players that also kind of want to rap,” he said. “No, he’s not trying to rap whatsoever. He’s approaching it differently and he’s not jaded by any other record politics that we all know about. He’s literally looking at this like fight promotion.”

This innovative perspective resonated with Xzibit, who admitted that the fresh approach to the business excites him. “We’re talking about approaching it like that, really building it in that fashion,” he said. “And that’s exciting to me. Again, the risk versus reward, I’ve never been afraid to step out on faith.”

When discussing McGregor’s personal character, Xzibit acknowledged the controversies surrounding the fighter but made it clear where he stands. “I gotta look at it like this; If you can’t stay down with the people in their dark times, you don’t deserve to stand up with them in the light,” he stated. “From what I’ve seen, the dude is doing the best he can. Great businessman too. His whiskey’s huge.”

Xzibit also addressed reports of McGregor’s whiskey company distancing itself from him, calling it a surprising move given the brand’s success. “It’s crazy because without him, there’s no [Proper No. Twelve]. But it is what it is,” he said. “I stay down. I don’t desert my people in their time of need.”

Last year, McGregor was on the receiving end of a major legal loss in a civil sexual assault case, where he was ordered to pay €250,000 to accuser Nikita Hand. His rival Jake Paul wasted no time throwing verbal jabs at the UFC star and UFC president Dana White in a disparaging remark on Twitter.