CONOR McGREGOR LOOKS set to take a short hiatus from the octagon as he prepares to become a father and seeks to resolve some financial issues with the UFC.
However, that hasn’t deterred Khabib Nurmagomedov from chasing a shot at the reigning UFC lightweight champion.
On the same night that McGregor relieved Eddie Alvarez of the title at UFC 205, Nurmagomedov reaffirmed his status as the number one contender in the division with a dominant victory over Michael Johnson.
Nurmagomedov would probably have challenged for the belt long before now if it hadn’t been for his track record of injury problems, which has restricted the undefeated Russian (24-0) to just two fights since he overcame Rafael Dos Anjos in April 2014.
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Conor McGregor Julio Cortez
Julio Cortez
Now that he appears to be back to full fitness, Nurmagomedov is desperate for a shot at the title, which happens to be — along with the UFC’s featherweight strap — in the possession of McGregor.
The pair were involved in a verbal altercation before the UFC 205 weigh-ins, and Nurmagomedov called McGregor out in his post-fight interview in the aftermath of his defeat of Johnson at Madison Square Garden.
When McGregor first began to make an impression in the UFC, he and Nurmagomedov appeared to be on good terms. They met at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas when the Dubliner overcame Dustin Poirier at UFC 178.
But now that McGregor has beaten Nurmagomedov to the summit of the UFC’s lightweight division, the 28-year-old from Dagestan has taken exception. Nurmagomedov has embarked on an aggressive media campaign, seemingly in a bid to lure McGregor into a defence of his lightweight title sooner rather than later.
Last night, Nurmagomedov took to Twitter to share a screenshot of an unanswered private message he sent to McGregor on Sunday, in which he told the Irish fighter: “Die like a samurai. Don’t chicken out. You need to represent your people with honour.”
With McGregor’s focus diverted elsewhere for now, it seems likely that Nurmagomedov will have to be patient if a match-up of such contrasting styles is to be made. While McGregor possesses superior striking attributes, Nurmagomedov would be expected to dominate when it comes to wrestling and grappling.
In an interview with FOX Sports in which he referred to himself as the undisputed champion, Nurmagomedov claimed that he’s happy to move on and seek other challenges if McGregor isn’t available to fight. The Russian insists that he’s willing to take on Tony Ferguson, the division’s other leading contender, instead.
“Conor is old news,” Nurmagomedov said. “Tony Ferguson deserves the shot more than Conor. He’s on a longer winning streak. Conor is 2-1 in his last three fights.
“I’m done talking about Conor. I’m 24-0. I’m ready to defend my undisputed championship against Tony Ferguson. I don’t care about Conor. I care about the belt.”
Khabib steps up pursuit of McGregor
CONOR McGREGOR LOOKS set to take a short hiatus from the octagon as he prepares to become a father and seeks to resolve some financial issues with the UFC.
However, that hasn’t deterred Khabib Nurmagomedov from chasing a shot at the reigning UFC lightweight champion.
On the same night that McGregor relieved Eddie Alvarez of the title at UFC 205, Nurmagomedov reaffirmed his status as the number one contender in the division with a dominant victory over Michael Johnson.
Nurmagomedov would probably have challenged for the belt long before now if it hadn’t been for his track record of injury problems, which has restricted the undefeated Russian (24-0) to just two fights since he overcame Rafael Dos Anjos in April 2014.
Now that he appears to be back to full fitness, Nurmagomedov is desperate for a shot at the title, which happens to be — along with the UFC’s featherweight strap — in the possession of McGregor.
The pair were involved in a verbal altercation before the UFC 205 weigh-ins, and Nurmagomedov called McGregor out in his post-fight interview in the aftermath of his defeat of Johnson at Madison Square Garden.
When McGregor first began to make an impression in the UFC, he and Nurmagomedov appeared to be on good terms. They met at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas when the Dubliner overcame Dustin Poirier at UFC 178.
But now that McGregor has beaten Nurmagomedov to the summit of the UFC’s lightweight division, the 28-year-old from Dagestan has taken exception. Nurmagomedov has embarked on an aggressive media campaign, seemingly in a bid to lure McGregor into a defence of his lightweight title sooner rather than later.
Last night, Nurmagomedov took to Twitter to share a screenshot of an unanswered private message he sent to McGregor on Sunday, in which he told the Irish fighter: “Die like a samurai. Don’t chicken out. You need to represent your people with honour.”
With McGregor’s focus diverted elsewhere for now, it seems likely that Nurmagomedov will have to be patient if a match-up of such contrasting styles is to be made. While McGregor possesses superior striking attributes, Nurmagomedov would be expected to dominate when it comes to wrestling and grappling.
In an interview with FOX Sports in which he referred to himself as the undisputed champion, Nurmagomedov claimed that he’s happy to move on and seek other challenges if McGregor isn’t available to fight. The Russian insists that he’s willing to take on Tony Ferguson, the division’s other leading contender, instead.
“Conor is old news,” Nurmagomedov said. “Tony Ferguson deserves the shot more than Conor. He’s on a longer winning streak. Conor is 2-1 in his last three fights.
“I’m done talking about Conor. I’m 24-0. I’m ready to defend my undisputed championship against Tony Ferguson. I don’t care about Conor. I care about the belt.”
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