UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and No. 1-ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov have a beef that needs to be squashed.
The pair engaged in a verbal battle backstage at the UFC 205 ceremonial weigh-ins this past November, with security needed to keep the two 155-pounders away from each other. With McGregor taking some time off to enjoy the birth of his first child, however, this leaves Nurmagomedov to compete for the interim lightweight title against Tony Ferguson in the co-main event of March 4’s UFC 209 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Nurmagomedov caught up with TMZ (via FOX Sports) recently to promote the bout, and vowed to ‘smash’ McGregor once he’s done with Ferguson:
“Conor has to be careful because I’m going to smash Tony Ferguson and after I’m going to smash Conor McGregor,” Nurmagomedov said. “I think after this one, people will begin to forget about this guy. But now, everybody talks about him, but it’s okay. For me, it’s okay.”
Regardless of if he ever gets the chance to step into the Octagon with ‘The Notorious,’ Nurmagomedov’s key focus at the moment is to one day reign as the UFC’s lightweight king. With a current undefeated record of 24-0, the Russian went on to compare his success in mixed martial arts (MMA) to that of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in boxing:
“I don’t care about him, I only want to fight for the title. This is what I want. I don’t care about Conor or Floyd Mayweather. Floyd Mayweather is one of the greatest boxers, but I think I am the Floyd Mayweather of MMA. I am 24-0, I can be 26-0 — 10-0 in the UFC — undefeated and undisputed UFC lightweight champion. I want to become the greatest lightweight ever. This is what I want.”
With the UFC being adamant in their attempts to get a show in Nurmagomedov’s home country of Russia soon, perhaps the chips could all fall into place pitting a massive lightweight title showdown between McGregor and ‘The Eagle’.
How do you think McGregor would fare inside the Octagon against the undefeated grappling phenom if they ever throw down?
Watch Nurmagomedov’s interview with TMZ here:
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