Det har under en tid ryktats om att lättviktsmästaren Khabib Nurmagomedov kommer att gå sitt första titelförsvar mot den tidigare mästaren Conor McGregor i år.
Det är fortfarande inte officiellt bekräftat, men Nurmagomedov och McGregors tränare John Kavanagh menar att det kommer blir av.
Det här hade Khabibs tränare Javier Mendez att säga via BJPenn:
I’m not sure [if the fight will happen next]. From what I’m reading, [McGregor’s coach] John Kavanagh said that he’ll bet anything that that fight happens this year.
No [I’m not in on that bet], because I don’t know what new york has planned for him. We’ll see come his final court hearing. They have more inside information on that, but hey man, anything could happen, you know? One thing I will say is if it does get licensed it won’t be in new york, it would have to be in Vegas. So, the fight will have to be in vegas if it happens this year. I’m hoping it happens this year. The fans need to see it. We need to have something outside of the stipe and dc fight, we need to have another blockbuster, and I think that would be the blockbuster of all time if they can ever get that one together.
Mendez känner att den ryske mästaren inte behöver vinna över McGregor för att bevisa att han är den rättmätige titelinnehavaren.
I don’t know [if october is a realistic time] cause I don’t know what’s going on. Islam [Makachev] and those guys, [Khabib’s] other training partners, are here getting ready for their fights. I don’t know. I’m thinking october if he’s training, which I’m pretty sure he is, is doable, but I think it’s probably more realistic november, december. That’s what I’m thinking now based on what’s going on.
No, I don’t think he needs to beat McGregor [to prove he’s the real champ], but I think he needs to personally beat a Tony Ferguson, he needs to beat like a [Georges St-Pierre]-type guy. He needs to beat some top, top, top guys to really solidify his place in history. That I do think he needs to do. But, does he need to fight Conor? Depends on Conor. If Conor’s fighting, then yes, he does. But if Conor’s not, then that obviously, it doesn’t matter. He’s still going to make history by beating the other guys. But it would be nice to get conor in there, only because that’s the fight everybody wants to see.
Håller ni med om Mendez kommentarer?
