Khabib Nurmagomedov, the Ultra Fighting Championship, or UFC, Lightweight Champion, and Conor McGregor, former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Champion, were both at the Football World Cup Final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia. But if you were hoping for any kind of interaction between the two, you’re going to be disappointed.
Nurmagomedov’s outlook is that any kind of confrontation would be pointless. After all, they aren’t officially signed to get to grips with one another, whatever rumour you may have heard. The Russian MMA fighter said that he was far more interested in seeing McGregor in the Octagon than he was at social events like Football matches, something which punters who enjoy online betting on the MMA will certainly agree with!
Enjoy the Match, Enjoy Russia
Nurmagomedov said that he thought he would meet McGregor at the Stadium, but that, since there was no way to test each other’s strength there, it was senseless. He said that it would have been a different story had there been a cage in the middle of the arena, and although the streets were always an option, he felt that neither he nor McGregor were of the age to indulge in fisticuffs like that. He ended off by saying that he was simply there to have fun at the Football match, and that he hoped McGregor was enjoying his home country.
McGregor’s Absence and Antics Vacated a Title for Nurmagomedov
Nurmagomedov won a title at UFC 223 in April this year which was vacant because of McGregor’s absenteeism from MMA, an interlude for the Irish fighter that is coming up to two years-long soon, and an incident leading up to that Pay-Per-View event in Brooklyn, New York. The Notorious and his crew charged a fighter-filled bus behind the Barclays Center after a media event for the UFC. They broke a window and injured Ray Borg and Michael Chiesa in the process.
The consequences of this attack were quite serious: Borg lost out on a chance to compete for the Flyweight title thanks to corneal abrasions on his eyes, and Chiesa walked away with cuts and bruises from the broken glass.
Rumour has it that McGregor’s tantrum was a result of his beef with Nurmagomedov, and may well have been a reprisal for Nurmagomedov and his posse getting into a spat with Artem Lobov, McGregor’s teammate.
Whatever the reasons, the incident was the last straw for the UFC officials, who formally announced that Nurmagomedov would be the undisputed Lightweight Champion if he won the UFC 223.
The Russian MMA Fighter Is Satisfied With His Options
Thanks to his top ranking in the 155-Pound Division, and McGregor’s return still undecided, Nurmagomedov is happy to survey alternatives to The Notorious. He stated that, since McGregor was not a possibility, he had Georges St-Pierre in mind. He was unsure of Tony Ferguson, due to his recent surgery, but if Ferguson was game, Nurmagomedov was up for it as well. He said that, in his opinion, Ferguson would be the ideal match-up, and it was a fight he would love to get into the Octagon for.