UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement, and has assumed head of house duties following the death of his beloved father Abdulmanap, due to COVID-19 and a heart condition. “The Eagle” has remained in the USADA testing pool, so he can fight again if he wants to, but there is every indication that he doesn’t want to.
#1 contender Dustin Poirer beat money GOAT Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 257 on Saturday, but Nurmagomedov has no interest in fighting either.
They’re both former champion and I choked both of them out,” explained the champ to RT Sport. I don’t want to fight them. There’s an Avarian proverb. ‘The horse doesn’t run until the donkey wins.’ Donkeys don’t even compete in horse races. I have no interest in going against them.
However, Khabib hasn’t fought #3 ranked Charles Oliveira, and “do Bronx” has a plan – fight Poirier for the title and win, luring “The Eagle” back with a champion he hasn’t smashed.
Now we have our opponent for the title fight, said Oliveira to Guilherme Cruz for MMA Fighting. That’s the fight to make. Dustin Poirier himself said this is the fight to make. I’m coming off eight straight wins, and I’m not playing games in the division, and he knows that.
What’s left? There’s nowhere to go. The UFC gave me Tony Ferguson on 20 days’ notice, ‘The Boogeyman,’ and you all saw what happened. They put Dustin Poirier against Conor McGregor – everybody knows how important [McGregor] is for the promotion – and look what Dustin Poirier did. Don’t we deserve this title fight? This is the fight to make.
Michael Chandler is super tough, he made history in Bellator, and came here and just fought once. So the fight to make is Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier. There’s no other way. Everybody wants this fight. Everybody knows this is the fight to make.
Dustin Poirier is really tough on the feet and on the ground. Everybody knows I’m evolving on the feet, and I don’t shy away from trading with anyone. But also everybody knows how dangerous I am when I take people down. I respect everyone, but this is my moment and my time. I’ll be the UFC champion in 2021. Knockout or submission, it doesn’t matter, my hands will be raised in the end.
You have to respect [nurmagomedev], 29 wins in a row, never lost in his career. He’s dominated everyone he’s fought, he’s beaten the big names in the division. But he hasn’t fought me, so he can’t say he’s levels above everyone. He can say he’s better than the ones he fought. Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, he fought them both, so he can say he’s better than those two, but he can’t say since he never fought me.
Me beating Dustin Poirier and becoming champion, that could definitely entice him to return, and if he does, he goes straight for the belt. But I don’t see him coming back. He made a promise over his father’s grave, so let’s focus on what has to happen here, which is Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier for the lightweight belt.
What do you think UG? Is Oliveira vs. Poirier the fight to make for the title if it vacates? Who will win? And will Khabib return?
