As per the latest UFC News, Khabib Nurmagomedov has made it clear that he does not pay to heed any jibes Conor McGregor takes at him to try and coax him into a rematch.
The undefeated Dagestani is of the view that since he mauled the former two-division champion at their main event clash at UFC 229 back in October last year, McGregor has done absolutely nothing to deserve a rematch. Nurmagomedov is far more interested in a fight against either Tony Ferguson or Georges St-Pierre, with a fight against the former looking most likely at the moment.
At a recent press conference held in Moscow last month, McGregor announced his UFC return and expressed the desire to face Nurmagomedov in a rematch in the latter’s hometown Moscow, Russia.
However, speaking at Q & A session with kids, Nurmagomedov said he doesn’t buy a word of what McGregor said and that he thinks McGregor is scared to get back inside the cage against him.
“Honestly, I don’t think he wants that fight.” (Transcription courtesy: RT Sport)
“How is that so? I beat him up for four rounds. I beat him and choked him and he tapped. It was a sign he didn’t want to be there, ‘let me go, please’ and all that. And now he wants the rematch.”
The reigning champ further stated that he will only think about McGregor once he gets inside the Octagon and proves his mettle against the top fighters in the division all over again just like Nurmagomedov did to get his shot at the title.
”First of all, he has to earn it. We’re in the fourth year since his last victory. It’s been three years and now we’re in the fourth. In order to fight for the title, I had to win 10 fights in a row in the UFC. That’s not counting the 16 victories I had outside the UFC. In every fight, I earned it not with my mouth but with my actions. That’s where we’re different — he talks about it, I just do it.”
Khabib feels that all McGregor has been doing since losing to him is talk but he has not shown actual intent to step inside the cage.
“Just talking is one thing, but when it comes to walking the talk, he’s completely different. So for me, he’s an idiot. We don’t pay attention to idiots.”
In all likelihood, Nurmagomedov’s next fight will be against Tony Ferguson sometime in 2020, while McGregor is rumored to return to the Octagon at UFC 246 on 18th January in Las Vegas. McGregor recently dropped down two spots in the pound-for-pound UFC Rankings.
Nurmagomedov and McGregor are two of the biggest stars in the UFC and a rematch between them will certainly make massive numbers for the promotion but it is safe to say that the pair will not lock horns anytime soon. Also, owing to the cloud of uncertainty looming over McGregor’s return and Khabib’s reluctance to fight him, the chances of watching these two top draw fighters reignite their rivalry remain slim.
