The Eagle Khabib Nurmagomedov met with Dana White last night for a meeting in regards to his future with the organisation. During a lengthy chat with the UFC President on Friday night in Abu Dhabi. Dana confirmed via UFC‘s official Instagram page speaking to Jon Anik,
‘Basically the way that he feels right now is, he’s accomplished everything he set out to accomplish,’
‘He thought that Oliveira looked really good in his last fight against Tony Ferguson. So next Saturday we’ve got the McGregor, Poirier fight and Chandler and Hooker on there.’
‘So his words to me were,”I’m going to watch this fight. I would never tie up the division. These guys do something spectacular, show me something spectacular and make me want to come back and fight.”
‘So I have a feeling that if somebody delivers, if these guys can do something special, Khabib will fight them.’
Khabib cemented his legacy after a second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October, earning his number 1 pound-for-pound ranking. The Russian had unfortunately lost his coach and father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov months before which revealed he had promised his mother that the Gaethje fight would be his last. However, it was always his fathers plan to reach 30-0 before hanging up the gloves.
There was always talk of the final showdown being against GSP, and how amazing would it be to have the current 29-0 undefeated, undisputed, pound-for-pound champion Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov vs 26-2 two-division former champion George ‘Rush’ St-Pierre. Cue the training montage and highlights of both fighters in video with Phil Collins, In The Air Tonight playing.
Well fight fans, I’m sorry. During UFC on ABC Holloway vs. Kattar post fight interview UFC president was asked ‘During the conversation with Khabib did GSP’s name ever come up or even possibly going up to 170 and becoming a Champ-Champ?’ White replied by saying, ‘Nope, GSP never came up. He’s not interested in that fight and from what I hear today after that neither is GSP. So, that’s over.’
Makes you want to curl up into a ball and cry in the corner somewhere, but there is still a chance we will see a Khabib vs McGregor II. Although during a recent interview The Notorious one stated to Ariel Helwani, ‘I think [Khabib’s] afraid to fight me. That’s for damn sure and I don’t blame him. I fought the best of him on that night, he fought the worst of me on that night. He knows it, I know it, his team knows it. I have the answer to destroy that man.’
McGregor vs. Poirier showdown on the main event of UFC 257 next week and the two will have to show Khabib ‘something special’ if even one of them want the rematch for gold and redemption. And just to spice things up The Eagle is also interested in the fight between 20-9 Dan Hooker vs UFC newcomer 21-5 Michael Chandler. Not to forget 30-8-1 Charles Oliveira coming off an impressive win over Tony Ferguson.
I guess when your numero uno you can make the shot calling.
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