Dyzuba hints at McGregor-Nurmagomedov fight
Zenit Saint Petersburg striker Dyzuba suggests the McGregor-Nurmagomedov fight is on.
Dear Khabib, we wish you the best of luck in the upcoming fight with the Irishman Conor McGregor. This will be the most important fight in your career. This is a gift from our entire team. khabI know that you love football, so here’s a T-shirt with the first number, because you are Number 1. Good luck in the UFC.
Nurmagomedov fight to go to Ferguson if McGregor misses deadline
According to MMA Team Dagestan, who first broke the news of the fight negotiations, McGregor is in danger of losing the Nurmagomedov bout to Ferguson.
BREAKING; If the negotiations on the fight @TeamKhabib vs. @TheNotoriousMMA will not be achieved, then next week @UFC announces fight @TeamKhabib vs. @TonyFergusonXT. #UFC229 October 6.
Nurmagomedov: ‘Just send me the contract’
Nurmagomedov says he is ready to sign a contract to fight McGregor.
I do not need to negotiate with you, do not need to call and ask me.. Just send me the contract. Yes, negotiations are underway.. But you need to persuade him and not me. You need to explain to him ”he will not beat you hard” agree to fight.
https://twitter.com/MMATeamDagestan/status/1011034233752694785
Nurmagomedov manager: McGregor ‘running out of money’
Aziz says McGregor only wants to fight Nurmagomedov because he is running out of money.
The last time I talked to Dana, he seemed this is the fight he wants to do. This is the biggest fight in UFC history, the biggest money maker. Conor is running out of money; this is why he agreed to fight Khabib. It’s OK — we are going to contribute to him making some money, but at the end of the day, we owe him an ass whooping. We need to get this ass whooping for Khabib and get it out of the way…[Nurmagomedov] doesn’t like the guy. We don’t like the guy. We don’t like his team. We don’t like what they represent. We don’t like what Conor represents. I like some of the stuff he does, to be honest, but he thinks he’s a gangster — I don’t think he is. Gangsters, they end in jail or get beat up.
Nurmagomedov confirms McGregor negotiations
Nurmagomedov says the UFC is working on his proposed bout with McGregor.
Very soon, I’m going to come to the USA to begin my training camp. When the UFC give me fight, I’m going to come to California and I’m going to stay there in AKA with my family nine weeks before fight. I’m going to defend my Inshallah (god willing) this year. This year, I want to defend my title…About opponents, I don’t know, to be honest. I don’t know. But the UFC is working on fight, me versus Conor…If they give (me) Conor, I’m going to fight…If they give me different opponents; ‘GSP’ or the winner of (Eddie) Alvarez versus (Dustin) Poirier. It doesn’t matter, let’s go.
Nurmagomedov: I will ‘destroy’ McGregor
Nurmgomedov says he will ‘destroy’ McGregor if they were to fight.
In what round will I be able to knock McGregor out? I do not know, and no one can know this. I’m going to destroy him…I do not yet know who my opponent will be…The fight will likely take place in Las Vegas. I want to fight McGregor; the fans are also waiting for this fight. I hope that Conor wants this fight…He talked a lot but for some reason, as soon as it came down to real negotiations about the fight, he fell silent.
Numagomedov’s team announces Oct 6 McGregor fight
Nurmagomedov’s team says their fighter will fight McGregor on October 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
https://twitter.com/mmateamdagestan/status/1007725877189402624
UFC wanted Khabib-McGregor, GSP-Diaz lightweight tournament
The UFC reportedly wanted a lightweight tournament with Nurmagomedov fighting McGregor in the fall and St-Pierre vs Diaz in August, with the two winners facing off at the end of the year. The GSP-Diaz bought was cancelled due to GSP’s illness. St-Pierre:
I’m not ready to fight yet. I need to wait until all the symptoms of my ulcer stop. It’s much better than it was but it’s not 100 percent yet. If I try to return for a training camp for a fight it will amplify and go back to what it was in the beginning. I need to get over this first for my own health and safety.
The Nurmagomedov-McGregor bout is impacted by McGregor’s legal issues. However, Nurmagomedov’s camp has also been pushing for a match up with St-Pierre instead, which they call a “legacy” bout.
Nurmagomedov confirms McGregor fight talks
Nurmagomedov confirms his team are in negotiations with the UFC for his next fight to be with McGregor. He says he is willing to wait to face McGregor, but not for long.
We’re talking, but if it takes too long, I don’t want to do that. We won’t wait long. I want to fight Conor and if he can fight, I will fight him. If he wants to fight this year, then we can fight. Otherwise, I don’t know.
McGregor ‘wants Nurmagomedov fight no matter what it takes’
The Irish Sun reports a source close to McGregor’s camp saying McGregor is desperate to fight Nurmagomedov. The source also says McGregor is ready to pass up on a potential UFC record payday and is willing to do all it takes to make up with UFC boss White, after his Brooklyn arrest. Source:
Conor is trying to do everything he possibly can to get back into the cage and wants Khabib no matter what it takes. He has never wanted a fight so much. He doesn’t care about the money for once, he just wants to get this guy one on one as he feels this whole situation was caused by him and he wants to make him pay. He would take this fight on for peanuts, he wants to make it happen.
Nurmagomedov wants McGregor fight
After Nurmagomedov’s win over Iaquinta strips McGregor of his UFC lightweight title, the Russian fighter says he wants to face McGregor in the octagon.
We have to finish this beef. Beef, chicken, or something like this. He have to stop eat Burger Kings and — you want to fight? Come. I told you guys, we’re gonna make him humble. I told you guys, I’m gonna change this game. Now, only one champion. No more fake champions. No more champion who never defend his title, or something like this. Now, UFC have champion, and this champion want to defend his title. You want to fight? Come here…Inside the cage, come. Outside the cage, let me know without camera, without all this media. Like men. He come when a lot of security here, outside the bus, inside the bus, security here, don’t let me go out. Like, he try to, ‘Hey, come out,’ like this. Why you need this show up? Let me know and that’s it, any time…He have to fight with me. Now, no more this all fake champions. You guys remember when he put tweet, ‘Beg me.’ Please, beg me…We have to finish this. It’s going to be very big fight. It’s going to be very big fight, I think. Let’s go. I am ready for this. November, September in Moscow, November in New York. Any time. Let’s go. Let’s fight in Africa or somewhere. I am here.
Nurmagomedov: McGregor’s UFC career is over – ‘100%’ getting stripped
Nurmagomedov says the fact that McGregor hasn’t stepped inside the Octagon in over 15 months is proof that he won’t be fighting in MMA ever again. He says McGregor’s team is focused on a rematch with Floyd Mayweather … instead of a real fight against him or Tony Ferguson — who he’s facing at UFC 223 in April. Nurmagomedov also says his contract for the Ferguson fight explicitly states they are fighting for the ‘real belt’ — which means the UFC is “100%” stripping Conor of his lightweight title.
I don’t think he gonna come back. When’s the last time Conor compete in MMA? Long time. He’s boxing guy.
White: McGregor will face Ferguson or Nurmagomedov, not Diaz
White says McGreogr will not fight Diaz for his comeback fight, and that he will likely fight Ferguson or Nurmagomedov.
I think people would rather see Conor come back and either fight Tony [Ferguson] or Khabib [Nurmagomedov]. Whoever wins — and the Nate Diaz fight isn’t going anywhere. We can do that thing any time.
Nurmagomedov says he might deny McGregor a title shot
Nurmagomedov says if he wins against Ferguson at UFC 223, he may deny McGregor a shot at the lightweight title upon his long-awaited return to MMA. He says he is more interested in his legacy than his bank balance.
I’m gonna make humble Conor. I’m gonna beat Tony and I’m gonna say to Conor, ‘Hey, you have to go into the [contender] line,’ because you have to deserve this. He has only one fight at 155 [pounds]. I am 25-0 at 155. Undefeated. Undisputed…I’m going to take this belt, and we’ll see what happens…Fighters try to make money with Conor but I’m not in this sport to make money. I can make money with other stuff in Russia, like a lot of money. I come here to make history, for my legacy.
Lobov: Nurmagomedov’s popularity in Russia ‘because of McGregor’
Lobov says Nurmagomedov is only popular in Russia because of McGregor.
It would be very hard to say who would be the bigger draw in Russia between Khabib and Conor. I honestly feel that Khabib is as big as he is in Russia because of Conor McGregor. A lot of people in Russian aren’t happy with how Khabib has been behaving with all of his pullouts. This isn’t a very manly thing to do, not showing up for a fight. In Russia, the people have been brought up tough. It used to be the Soviet Union. The thing everybody thinks of when they think about Russia is how tough the people are. When they see a fighter continuously pulling out, that’s something that they really don’t like. Then they look at a guy like Conor who always shows up and does what he says he’s going to do. That really resonates with the Russian public.
McGregor ‘would like to’ fight Nurmagomedov; Diaz ‘so bitter’
Following the final press conference of the world tour in London, McGregor talks about fighting Nurmagomedov in Russia:
It’s certainly one of the things I would like to do. Whether it’s next, I don’t know. I don’t even know how close the Russia thing is. Whether Khabib can pull his shit together; he missed weight…There’s a few of them in the mix. A few of them need to pull their shit together, though, and get interest going and get me interested. Right now I don’t actually see anything.
On Nate Diaz:
That Diaz trilogy is also on my mind. He should really be thankful. Before he fought me he was [getting paid] 20,000 to show and 20,000 to win. His 19th fight in the UFC, and he was on 40 grand. Now he’s a multi-millionaire. So, I don’t know why he’s sitting there so bitter. Maybe them smacks he took in that rematch messed with his head a little bit. I hope not, but I think they did.
White: McGregor wants to fight Nurmagomedov in Russia
White says McGregor has told him that following the Mayweather fight, he wants to face Khabib Nurmagomedov — in Russia, which would make it the first UFC fight held there.
You know what Conor told me? ‘I want Khabib in Russia.’ Isn’t he f-cking awesome?…Conor McGregor is a f-cking unicorn. There’s nothing like him. He’s working on boxing Floyd Mayweather and then he’s talking about fighting Khabib in Russia right after…Those are the kind of things that make that kid a f-cking superstar. I’ve got guys telling me, ‘I don’t want to shit – I don’t want to fight this guy, and I don’t want to do this.’ [McGregor says], ‘I want Floyd Mayweather then I want f-cking Khabib in Russia.’ How do you not love him? How do you not love Conor McGregor? Amazing.
Attar: If not Diaz, Ferguson will fight Nurmagomedov in fall
During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Attar says that if Diaz will not fight Ferguson, then he will likely fight Nurmagomedov in the fall
My assumption is that if Nate [Diaz] doesn’t sign on, it’s gonna be Khabib come this fall.
Nurmagomedov: Failure to make weight ‘100% my fault’
Nurmagomedov says he is completely responsible for not making weight at UFC 209, and that he still wants to fight Ferguson.
You know I don’t remember a lot of things, to be honest. Last night [before weigh in] and I know – I am going to a hospital, I feel bad. I know that a lot of fans are upset with me about this and I agree with this guys. Because this is one of the biggest fights in Russian MMA. for me, I can make history but I am going to the hospital you know. But sometimes this happens, sometimes you can die, you know. Everybody can die, everybody can [get] sick. Now I need a couple of months. Like two or three months. After three months I come for hard training and I want to fight in September. “I think this is my fault, this is my fault. I know that [my] body don’t listen to me and I think, I know, this is my fault. How can I say that this is the coach’s fault or the diet guy’s fault? This is 100% my fault. This is my dream fight – a fight with Tony Ferguson. I know I pulled out, but he pulled out one time, too. But nobody talked when he pulled out. When I pull out – everybody talks about this. But it’s ok. Inshallah (God willing) I will come back and we’ll see what happens.
Coach: Nurmagomedov may retire
Coach Mendez says Nurmagomedov may retire after his UFC 209 health issues, depending on the results of a physical in Germany.
Being that his father, like I said, is a huge influence on him and if that’s what him and his father decide to do then that’s what will happen. And I support it if that’s what they want. But you know, time will tell, right? I mean, he first has to get that title and I think that’s a very important thing in his life, and I would think if his body is not 100 percent healthy and his mind is the way it’s always been, like wanting to be the best, then it may be longer than 30 because of the fact that things like this happen – delays, injuries, he gets injured, his opponent gets injured. But I see it potentially happening if that’s what they wish.