Manager Says Khabib Wouldn’t Fight Conor Mcgregor For Less Money Than Nate Diaz
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov expects to fight the former two-division champion, Conor McGregor, next, but Dagestani said he would have to be compensated quite a bit in the process.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz spoke to MMAFighting during this week and stated his client is looking for a good deal, wouldn’t fight Conor Mcgregor if the money is less than what Nate Diaz made against Irishman when they fought. To remind you Diaz took home a guaranteed $2 million at UFC 202 showdown in August 2016.
Ali Abdelaziz says the deal is going to get it done for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s title defense against Mcgregor simply because of his relationship with UFC and his staff members.
“We will get a deal done,” Abdelaziz said at a UFC 227 media lunch for his client Cody Garbrandt. “Trust me. My relationship with Dana, Hunter, Sean, Mick. I have a different relationship. I’m not gonna overplay my hand and they need to be fair. There’s no way in hell Nate Diaz can make more money than Khabib. There’s no way in hell. [Nurmagomedov is the] undefeated, undisputed lightweight champion of he world. That’s it.”
There are few dates available for this blockbuster fight to happen, which includes UFC 229 on October 6 in Las Vegas, UFC 230 on November 3 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Another possibility would be UFC 232 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas, the promotion’s most prominent end of the year card.
Ali also made clear if the deal couldn’t be able to lock due to money then Khabib will be willing to defend his title against Dustin Poirier who’s coming off a second-round TKO win over Eddie Alvarez at UFC on Fox 30 this past Saturday night.
“If Conor starts playing games, we’re fighting Poirier,” Abdelaziz said. “Poirier will get the shot. I think he deserves it before Conor. But Conor wants to come, you’ve gotta bring your check book with you. Because he doesn’t deserve it. Poirier deserves it. “
During Q&A at the UFC Calgary, Khabib said Mcgregor isn’t deserving of the title fight due to his merit in his most recent bouts (Floyd Mayweather bout included) as he’s 2-2 in his last four contests.
Russian is straightforwardly looking this as a money fight, and he’s expecting to be compensated accordingly.
“If you want to make this fight happen, it’s about money,” Abdelaziz said. “It’s not about who’s the champion, the rankings — none of this stuff. It’s about money. Khabib wants to kick his ass, I want to see it, but at the end of the day, if Conor fights it’s business.”
The fight between Khabib and Mcgregor has been making headlines for some time now. The animosity between the two stars heated after UFC 223 chaos.
This fight is getting a lot of limelight as Ali emphasized that most of are due to what Khabib has achieved in the UFC so far.
“I’m not a greedy guy,” Abdelaziz said. “Go ahead and make $100 million. If Khabib can make $10 million, I’m happy. At the end of the day, it’s not just somebody I manage. It’s my little brother, too. It’s not, ‘I’m gonna fight for him, I’m gonna get you this deal.’ It’s what he deserves. I don’t want anything extra than what he deserves. That’s it. I believe he’s one of the biggest stars in the UFC today.”
Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov deserves a big payday due to his great resume?
