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Conor McGregor will have to fight at 155 pounds next to earn a rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov says a rematch against Conor McGregor makes no sense if the Irishman is choosing to fight at 170 pounds in his next fight.
McGregor and Dustin Poirier have both verbally agreed to fight each other at a UFC event in January next year, but the fight is far from official and contracts are yet to be signed. The fight would be McGregor’s first in the UFC since defeating Donald Cerrone at welterweight in January.
Nurmagomedov, who submitted McGregor at UFC 229 two years ago, recently spoke to former UFC fighter Mike Swick on his podcast “Real Quick”. Khabib said there’s no way he would rematch McGregor if he beats Poirier at welterweight next.
“If he beat him in 155 it makes sense, but if he beat him in 170? How can you fight in 170 and then in next fight in 155,” Khabib said. “They wanna make everything easy, if you wanna take easy way, you will never deserve next title shot.”
The undefeated Nurmagomedov (28-0) is set to make the third defense of his title this weekend against interim champion Justin Gaethje (22-2) at UFC 254. The Russian continued by explaining how he humbled McGregor in their first fight in 2018.
“Before I fight with him I told him, ‘I’m gonna make you humble, and I’m gonna put you online.’ So if he fight 170, bye bye.”
UFC 254 takes place this Saturday, October 24th, on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi. Nurmagomedov vs. Gaethje will headline the card.