At a recent press conference in Russia announcing his new MMA Global promotion, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov set down conditions for a potential rematch with former champ champ Conor McGregor.

If I beat Gaethje [at UFC 254 on October 24], then in April I could fight St-Pierre, said Nurmagomedov, as transcribed by Nick Atkin for SCMP. [The UFC] told me that they will negotiate with St-Pierre.

Time is ticking, St-Pierre is 40 years old next year, he has to decide whether we will fight or not. … If [St-Pierre] comes back to the UFC and agrees to fight me, I’m fighting him. Why? Because the last time he lost was 2007. My career started in 2008. Together we’ve been undefeated for 25 years.

I’m talking in terms of time, not fights. I don’t think the UFC will get another chance to make a fight like that, definitely not in the next 10 years. So, Georges St-Pierre is next. If not, then let Conor [McGregor] beat [Dustin] Poirier or have Tony [Ferguson] beat him, then I’ll fight them.

Gaethje is a very good fighter. Is he better standing than Conor? I think no. My fighting IQ tells me that Conor is better in standing than Gaethje. Let [McGregor] come back, defeat Dustin Poirier, then we will fight with him – no problem.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h70ZPnTuz4

However, in a recent interview with The Schmo, UFC president Dana White was not enthusiastic.

I dunno, I’m not even thinking about that, said White. If you look at what GSP said in the past and recently, his mind isn’t even there right now to get back into a camp and fight.

I hate catchweight fights – they literally don’t mean anything and they make no sense. If GSP can make 155 pounds and make a run at Khabib’s title, that’s one thing. But I’m not a fan of catchweight.

So does Dana really not care about the fight, or is this simply the canny beginning of negotiations?

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