Khabib Nurmagomedov recently revealed a new timeline for his first defense of the lightweight title, but it may not be against who you thought it was going to be.
The undefeated Dagestani takedown machine won the belt in a five-round domination of replacement Al Iaquinta after a list of other potential challengers fell through at April 7’s UFC 223; the lights were all on Conor McGregor’s chaotic assault directed at ‘The Eagle’ two days before the event.
“The Notorious” was arrested and will appear in court on assault charges on June 14, and the outburst made it seem like Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor was a must, a clear path to very possibly the most lucrative mixed martial arts bout of all-time with a ton of ‘real’ animosity now fueling their rivalry. However, if we’re to believe Khabib’s camp, that’s not the bout he’s actually targeting.
Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz told MMA Fighting that his star client was looking for legendary former middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. With his absence now reaching nearly two years, they think he should earn the right to fight for the title once again:
“We believe the fight to make is the Georges St-Pierre fight at 155 pounds,” Ali Abdelaziz said. “Khabib wants to fight for legacy and not for a soap opera drama show, and we think Conor doesn’t deserve this opportunity. The guy hasn’t fought in almost two years. Why does he deserve to fight for the title? He should get his ass back in the line and work his way up.”
St-Pierre returned from a nearly four-year absence to submit former middleweight champion in the main event of UFC 217, then promptly vacated the title after dealing with digestive issues due to his increased food intake to fight up a weight class. He’s still planning his return.
The all-time great was linked to a rumored fight with Nate Diaz at August 4’s UFC 227 from Los Angeles, with the winner of that bout presumably fighting the winner of Khabib vs. McGregor in a massive match-up. That fight reportedly won’t happen as he heals, yet Diaz is supposedly targeting a return before the end of the summer.
As for Khabib, well, Abdelaziz said that the newly-crowned lightweight king isn’t necessarily focused on the monster payday a fight with McGregor brings as most prizefighters would be. To him, Abdelaziz claimed, the only reason to fight “The Notorious” would be to get revenge for the Irishman’s Brooklyn outburst:
“There’s only one reason Khabib wants to fight him: to make him pay for what he did [in Brooklyn]. For Khabib, it’s not only about money. It’s about disciplining him.
“That being said, UFC should be talking to Georges, not Conor.”
The post Team Khabib: Conor McGregor Should Get His A** Back In Line appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.