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“We want to host him in Moscow, he is welcome – we are waiting.”
Khabib’s father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov says ‘Moscow is waiting’ for Conor McGregor.
Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor to retain his lightweight title at UFC 229 but there is still bad blood between the two fighters.
McGregor hasn’t fought since losing to Khabib but the Irishman is expected to return to the cage early next year.
Abdulmanap, who has trained his son Khabib since he was a child, said McGregor is welcome to a rematch but only after ‘The Eagle’ first disposes of top lightweight contender and former divisional interim champ Tony Ferguson.
“If McGregor wants it, then Moscow is waiting for him,” Abdulmanap said in a recent interview with Zhivina100 (per RT Sport). “He said once that he has more fans here than Khabib. We want to host him in Moscow, he is welcome – we are waiting.”
“But before McGregor we should finish our business with Ferguson,” Abdulmanap added. “Because he had 28 fights, and runs a 12-fight winning streak in the UFC, just like Khabib. Such winning streaks and such big fights have never happened in the UFC.”
It’s expected that Nurmagomedov, who is undefeated after 28 professional fights, will defend his lightweight title against Ferguson in the first quarter of 2020. The proud Dagestani has also hinted of a mega-fight with retired UFC legend and former two-division champ Georges St-Pierre, who recently completed a 75-hour water fast.
Abdulmanap hinted that Khabib’s next fight will take place at New York’s Madison Square Garden, but Nurmagomedov is almost certain he’ll fight in Russia.
”So I think Madison Square Garden is a good place for this fight, but we won’t fight earlier than March,” Abdulmanap said.