Ali Abdelaziz manages title contender Cody Garbrandt so he made himself available for appearances ahead of Cody’s bantamweight title shot against TJ Dillashaw. Unsurprisingly he was asked about another client Khabib Nurmagomedov and a potential super bout with a returning Conor McGregor. Also not surprising is his requirement for some serious cheddar. Check out what he said via MMAFighting…
We will get a deal done. Trust me. My relationship with Dana [White], Hunter[ Campbell], Sean [Shelby], Mick [Maynard]. I have a different relationship. I’m not gonna overplay my hand and they need to be fair. There’s no way in hell Nate Diaz can make more money than Khabib. There’s no way in hell. [Nurmagomedov is the] undefeated, undisputed lightweight champion of he world. That’s it.
If you want to make this fight happen, it’s about money. It’s not about who’s the champion, the rankings — none of this stuff. It’s about money. Khabib wants to kick his ass, I want to see it, but at the end of the day, if Conor fights it’s business.
Here comes the amount. Wait for it…
I’m not a greedy guy. [Conor can] go ahead and make $100 million. If Khabib can make $10 million, I’m happy. At the end of the day, it’s not just somebody I manage. It’s my little brother, too. It’s not, ‘I’m gonna fight for him, I’m gonna get you this deal.’ It’s what he deserves. I don’t want anything extra than what he deserves. That’s it. I believe he’s one of the biggest stars in the UFC today.
Dustin Poirier’s finish of former champion Eddie Alvarez in Calgary may have had a bit of controversy to it but it was decisive so he is the number one or two guy no questions. He also made it clear that if Conor McGregor starts his shenanigans that they will go with Poirier.
If Conor starts playing games, we’re fighting Poirier. Poirier will get the shot. I think he deserves it before Conor. But Conor wants to come, you’ve gotta bring your check book with you. Because he doesn’t deserve it. Poirier deserves it.
Which fight do you want for Khabib? Poirier or McGregor?