Nurmagomedov’s father/coach: Open to fight with Ferguson

Conor McGregor leaves a big wake. At UFC 205 he became the first fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously. Then he said he didn’t want to fight again until the birth of his first child in May. Further, he wasn’t going to fight unless he got equity. And the only figure he has expressed genuine interest in fighting is Floyd Mayweather, under boxing rules. McGregor has also mused about fighting welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

#1 lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov was offered a title shot at then-champion Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, but The King of the Underground held out for a McGregor fight, and got it. Instead, Nurmagomedov got a fight with the #6 ranked contender Michael Johnson, on the undercard.

Khabib spent the fight beating Johnson through the canvas, alternated with going to his corner and yelling at the Octagonside UFC president Dana White that he wanted a title shot next. The Eagle later said if his next fight wasn’t a title shot, he would leave the UFC.

So we have a two-division champion who won’t fight until May, maybe in boxing, maybe at featherweight, maybe at lightweight, maybe at welterweight, if the UFC gives him equity. Further compounding matters, although he didn’t make the case himself after his last win, Tony Ferguson is on a nine-fight win streak, and in his last five fights, won three Fight of the Nights and three performance bonuses.

However, Nurmagomedov’s father and longtime coach Abdulmanap spoke recently with the Russian language site MMANews.info, and said that it might not be title shot or bust.

“We will not wait longer than 3 months, said Abdulmanap, according to BE. We’ll wait for 3 months and at the 4th, we need an opponent. Let them give us any opponent. Even at 77kgs (welterweight).

The reporter asked whether a fight with Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone was on the table.

At this moment, it is better to fight with Ferguson, said Abdulmanap. “Just to nail this thing down.

Thus the three-division title picture is a little clearer. McGregor probably drops the featherweight belt, leaving interim champion Jose Aldo as undisputed, to fight the #1 contender. Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will probably rematch with Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson. The top two lightweight contenders will probably fight each other. And lightweight champion Conor McGregor, he does whatever he wants to.