UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is looking to score his win No. 29 against Justin Gaethje on Saturday and the fighter is expected to emerge undefeated after UFC 254. But win or lose, the Russian has indicated he is ready to face Conor McGregor anew in a rematch tipped to take place in 2021.
Should that be the case, then the UFC warriors are likely to clash in the second half of next year as McGregor is scheduled for a skirmish with Dustin Poirier on January 23. Then the Irishman already declared that his next foe would be Manny Pacquiao in a boxing showdown that reports said will be staged in the Middle East.
But before the Pacquiao vs. McGregor in 2021, Khabib said he is monitoring closely the McGregor vs. Poirier. The UFC star is hoping that the two fighters will meet at the octagon as lightweight, and if so Khabib said fighting The Notorious again is something he can consider seriously.
"If he beats him (Dustin Poirier) in 155, it makes sense. But if they fight in 170, how can you fight in 170 and then next fight be in 155," The Daily Mail reported Khabib as saying.
While the UFC champ defeated McGregor at UFC 229, he seemed to believe that there remains an unfinished business between him and the Irishman. Khabib said that in fighting McGregor anew, he will have the same philosophy.
The intention for the first fight was to defeat the flamboyant McGregor and make him humble. Khabib promised he would do the same when the rematch happens.
The Russian fighter, however, has other options in mind. He could face Georges St-Pierre and that is if the rumors are correct that the Canadian will be fighting again. Or Khabib can put on his boxing gloves for a prizefight that will pit him against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The latter match is surely more interesting as the event will feature two superstar fighters who have yet to taste the agony of defeat. In any case, Khabib stated that any of the two ring warriors serve as motivation to continue his winning ways in the title bout against Gaethje.
Meanwhile, Javier Mendez, who serves as Khabib's coach, has confirmed that a McGregor win over Poirier will make the MMA superstar the leading contender to fight the Russian next. Mendez added it's important too that Khabib will win the Saturday duel.
"He [McGregor] has to beat Dustin and then obviously that makes sense. We have to be victorious and then we'll see what Dana offers us," Talk Sport reported Mendez as saying.
