Manager: Khabib wants $50 million for next fight
Ali Abdelazziz: “You have a guy meeting with Putin and Erdogan and the other guy selling liquor on the corner store. It’s not even in the f***ing same planet.”
UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz spoke recently with TMZ, and talked about what’s next for The Eagle, and what it will cost. There are rumors McGregor made around $50 million at UFC 229, and he lost to Nurmagomedov.
Ben Askren, Woodley, none of these guys can touch Khabib, said Abdelaziz, as transcribed by Jed Meshew for MMA Fighting. Especially if they’re scared to get tired and these guys, they get tired. Now, I’m not even worried about Tyron or Ben Askren, I’m worrying about somebody bringing $50M to $100M to the table and none of these guys can bring $200,000 to the table.
Listen, the guy we just fought said he made $50M. I think, as a global superstar, Khabib bypass him. You have a guy meeting with Putin and Erdogan and the other guy selling liquor on the corner store. It’s not even in the f***ing same planet. Good for him. Whatever. It’s none of our business, he do what he does. We try to go to Africa, we try to do different things. It’s not even close.
At the end of the day, maybe a whole bunch of money gets on the table, maybe the rematch. I don’t know. Maybe we’ll give a rematch to the guy we just killed. . . Whatever’s gonna bring Khabib money. This is now my job. It’s not Khabib’s job. Khabib created legacy, 11 years, 27 fights. Right now, money talks, bulls*** walks. That’s it.
Khabib can retire now. He’s rich. . . But if somebody’s gonna put big paycheck on the table and we can get it done, I don’t care about number one contender, number ten contender. Khabib was number one contender for five years! Conor jumped him, Eddie jumped him, a lot of people jumped him. Right now, it’s about the paycheck.
What’s immediately next for Nurmagomedov is a trip to Africa where he plans to build wells in schools in areas with far too few of them.
We’re gonna give $1M to get wells and help with schools, said Abdelaziz. He’s gonna go to Africa probably end of this year, beginning of next year, and this is the most important thing. Khabib wants to touch lives.”