– Paul Dollery reports from New York
DESPITE BEING ASSURED that he’s next in line for a shot at the UFC lightweight title, Khabib Nurmagomedov is not getting carried away.
Before it was announced that Eddie Alvarez would defend his 155lbs crown against Conor McGregor this weekend at UFC 205, Nurmagomedov looked set to be the first man to challenge Alvarez in his reign as champion.
The Dagestani fighter, who has won all 23 of his professional bouts, was seemingly used as a pawn in the negotiations for the Alvarez-McGregor bout. Nurmagomedov was sent two separate bout agreements to fight Alvarez — one for UFC 205, the other for UFC 206 in Toronto next month — but the champion was eventually paired with McGregor for a lucrative headliner at Madison Square Garden this Saturday night.
Nurmagomedov subsequently expressed his anger at both Alvarez and the UFC. Instead, he’ll aim to reaffirm his status as the leading contender in the lightweight division by defeating Michael Johnson on this weekend’s New York main card.
The 28-year-old sambo and wrestling ace has moved on from that episode, admitting his acceptance of the fact that a bout between Alvarez and McGregor will generate more revenue for the UFC. Nevertheless, he wants UFC president Dana White to be true to his word once this event is out of the way.
According to Nurmagomedov, he’s been promised the next shot at the title. Tony Ferguson staked his claim last weekend with an impressive win against Rafael Dos Anjos — his ninth in succession — but Nurmagomedov says he’ll be waiting for the winner of the clash of Alvarez and McGregor, as long as he doesn’t slip up against Johnson.
“Dana is a business guy,” Nurmagomedov said at yesterday’s UFC 205 media day at Madison Square Garden. “I agree with him: Conor versus Alvarez is a big fight because Conor makes money. I agree with this, everyobody agrees. But I don’t agree why, if I don’t fight for the title, they sent me two [bout] agreements.”
When asked if he believes Dana White is disloyal, Nurmagomedov said: “For Dana and the UFC, this is just business. I don’t know about his relationship with friends and family, but I hope he’s loyal because he told me that after this fight I have to fight for the title. A little bit [of me] believes. A little bit, no.”
