Nurmagomedov names who he wants, if he fights only three more times

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov appeared recently on Submission Radio and detailed who might be next. It’s complex. For one thing, The Eagle’s father wants him to retire at 30, and he turns 31 on September 22, so time is not unlimited. His influential father has also said he wants his son to have three more fights only.

I have a big team. You know, my father, Javier Mendez, my management, and everybody thinks a little bit different,” he explained. “My father thinks different, Javier thinks different, my management thinks different. But when the athletic commission makes a decision, we’re gonna sit with my old team and make a decision what I’m gonna do next.”

Khabib has a couple of famous names on his no list, Conor McGregor firstly.

“Right now, if you guys ask me, of course, he not deserve a title shot rematch, because he lose, he tapped. It wasn’t a close fight. I dominated him everywhere in every aspect and I beat him. Like I told, I smashed him. Why we need a rematch?

Nate Diaz is another fighter The Eagle is declining, at least for now.

“No, I don’t know, like, people forgot about him,” said Khabib. “That’s why he tried to be on media, try to trash talk me and something like this. We all know about him. How many time he lose? Like, 12 or 11? Like, everybody, all top fighters beat him. Like, Rory MacDonald, Benson Henderson, dos Anjos, Conor. Everybody beat him. Like, forget about him.

That said, Nurmagomedov appeared willing, even eager to fight welterweight G.O.A.T. and former middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre.

Georges St. Pierre is a very big name,” he said. “I like an opponent who is a very tough opponent and he’s a little bit bigger than me. And if we’re gonna fight, we have to fight at 155, because 170 is his weight and he’s gonna be a little bit bigger than me. And for me it’s like a smart decision taking him to 155. And yes, he’s a very big challenge for me. Like, for my legacy, he’s a very good match-up for my legacy, for fans, for money, for everywhere now. And I don’t know about his future, about his plans, but I respect him. In my opinion he’s the greatest athlete who ever competed in the UFC, because he’s a champion inside the cage and outside the cage too. And we’ll see. But if you ask me about Georges St. Pierre, of course I’m interested in this match.

Khabib was asked, if he stuck to his father’s wish, who the three fights might be against?

I don’t know right now, but why not maybe St. Pierre, Ferguson and Mayweather,” he replied. “It will be these three guys and we can retire and become the greatest athlete of all time.

Khabib detailed why he wants to box Mayweather.

Because he’s old now,” said the fighter. “If you talk about like if I’m gonna compete with young lions in boxing, of course it’s gonna be very tough for me. Like, even if you talk about Canelo or Golovkin, these guys are dangerous. But Mayweather now is old, 41, 42 years old. You know, but he’s a very big name. If we can take very big fish, why not? A lot of people don’t understand about age, about when you did in competition. Like, they think, ‘oh, Mayweather and that’s it,’ or, ‘Conor and that’s it’. They don’t know what’s inside. We can take everything what they have. You know, all his 50-0, we can take this because he’s too old, too small, and it’s gonna be smart decision for my future, for legacy, for money, for fans, for everywhere.