A much talked about rematch between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor won’t be happening anytime soon, that’s if you believe what Ali Abdelaziz says. The MMA manager of many fighters including Nurmagomedov insists his man remains uninterested in fighting McGregor after previously beating the Irish star by submission at UFC 229 in October 2018.
Speaking to ESPN Abdelaziz claimed there is no chance this fight happens in the near future, at least not inside the octagon, he said.
“The
only chance this fight could happen is in the street,” Abdelaziz said
Saturday at UFC 247 at Toyota Center. “[McGregor would] have to do
something spectacular. He’s s—, you understand? Conor McGregor is one of the
biggest stars because he’s one of the biggest scumbags.”
The promotion
for UFC 229 was one of the most toxic in sporting history. Both men fought well
on fight night but failed to squash their beef inside the cage. A post-fight
brawl broke out in some of the ugliest scenes you’ll ever see. The bitter
rivalry still rumbles on and Abdelaziz wants everyone to know.
“Let’s
be real,” Abdelaziz said. “We don’t like this guy. We’re never gonna
like him. Probably every time we see him, there’s gonna be problems. He said
things about family, things about religion, things about race. He crossed the
line. … You can’t cross the line with [Nurmagomedov].”
Nurmagomedov defends his 155lb title at UFC 249 on April 18 in Brooklyn. Should he win UFC President Dana White has made no secret about his desire to make a rematch with Irishman McGregor. However, team Numragomedov want to see McGregor earn another shot rather than be gifted one.
“Conor
needs to earn things,” Abdelaziz said. “He was a champion. He needs
to earn things. Khabib really, really wants to make him earn it. It doesn’t
matter, because what he says.
“We have a really, really tough fight. Everybody forgets about Tony, dismissing him. Khabib has been training for three months straight, and he has two more months.”
A fight with McGregor is undoubtedly the most lucrative in all of MMA. Despite that Nurmagomedov is willing to pass up on the fight, as financial factors aren’t the only ones at play in this rivalry.
“Listen, there’s a lot of money for Khabib if Khabib fights Conor,” Abdelaziz said. “… But everything is not about money. Especially with Khabib.”
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