There are rumors that Khabib Nurmagomedov should fight versus Conor McGregor in his first UFC Lightweight title defense. However, his manager claims Khabib should look his chance elsewhere.
“We believe the fight to make is the Georges St-Pierre fight at 155 pounds,” Ali Abdelaziz said. “Khabib wants to fight for legacy and not for a soap opera drama show, and we think Conor doesn’t deserve this opportunity. The guy hasn’t fought in almost two years. Why does he deserve to fight for the title? He should get his ass back in the line and work his way up.”
After Nurmagomedov’s victory over Al Iaquinta in April, UFC was thinking about the match of currently biggest names for the Lightweight title. The tournament should include four biggest names: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, and Georges St-Pierre.
The idea of the promotion was the fight between Nate Diaz and Georges St-Pierre on August 4 in Los Angeles in the first semi-finals. Unfortunately, the fight between Diaz and GSP can’t happen for many reasons, and GSP claims he is not ready to return yet. His health issues are obviously giving him a hard time. (via MMAFighting.com)
“I’m not ready to fight yet,” he told MMAFighting.com. “I need to wait until all the symptoms of my ulcer stop. It’s much better than it was but it’s not 100 percent yet. If I try to return for a training camp for a fight it will amplify and go back to what it was in the beginning. I need to get over this first for my own health and safety.”
The second semi-final would include the showdown of two fighters who lead a strategic social network war for a very long period of time – Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Las Vegas was mentioned as a possible location. The promotion waits for McGregor’s hearing on June 14th to see what would happen next and will he be able to evade prison sentence. When it comes to Diaz, there are rumors he will fight until the end of summer, but his potential rival is not known yet.
UFC hasn’t necessarily given up on these four but the chances of the tournament to happen are currently running low. Nurmagomedov Vs GSP looks more probable now, while McGregor Vs Diaz 3 would be an amazing choice.
When it comes to Khabib, he is not completely closed to Conor McGregor. His manager says he is open to the fight but there is only one reason why famous Dagestani wants it.
“There’s only one reason Khabib wants to fight him: to make him pay for what he did [in Brooklyn]. For Khbaib, it’s not only about money. It’s about disciplining him.
“That being said, UFC should be talking to Georges, not Conor.”
Conor Vs Khabib would be the fight of angry rivals, while Khabib vs GSP could be a technical showdown. What would you like to watch more?
