Efter många om och men bokades det in ett möte mellan Khabib Nurmagomedov och Tony Ferguson, och de kommer att tävla om interimbältet i lättvikt under UFC 209 den 4 mars. Nurmagomedov känner sig riktigt självsäker inför matchen och hävdar att han kommer avsluta Tony, för att sedan möta titelhållaren Conor McGregor.
Khabib är även helt säker på att han kommer avsluta McGregor, och han tänker inte erbjuda Conor någon returmatch. Detta hade Nurmagomedov att säga via ”MMAJunkie”:
This is what I want: A fight with Tony. I’m going to finish him. After (that), finish Conor and the UFC maybe (will) want to make a rematch with Conor. But I say no,. This is a very interesting situation. Finish Tony Ferguson, finish Conor McGregor … at the end of the year, maybe UFC (will) try to make a rematch. But I’ll say, ‘Bye-bye guys.’ He doesn’t deserve this. Then I’ll fight with another real contender.
I don’t need your small guys like Jose Aldo or other guys. I need real, top-level fighters.’ Because if I beat Jose or I beat Daniel Cormier, people are still talking about Tony Ferguson. That’s why I said, ‘Please give me Tony. I’m going to finish his win streak. Finish him.’ And after that, what happens? No more opponents.
When the cage closes, I’m going to smash him. I’m going to make him tired and I want him to feel my power and feel my pressure and finish him – break his face, because this is what I do all my life. I’m fighting in the UFC. I fought before the UFC in Russia, all the time fighting tough fighters. When the cage closes, nothing is personal. I want to just finish guys.
I think about the real belt. I don’t give a (expletive) about him (Conor McGregor). Everyone wants to fight him and make money, but this is not my goal. I came to the UFC for fights with high-level fighters, take the belt, become UFC lightweight undisputed and undefeated champion – this is my goal. A lot of people want a fight with him because it’s about money. But it’s OK. I can give him money if he needs money.
Khabib är hittills obesegrad i sin MMA-karriär med hela 24 segrar i bagaget, och sist vi såg honom inne i oktogonen drog han ut ingen mindre än Michael Johnson då de möttes under UFC 205.
