KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV HAS achieved his goal of becoming the undisputed UFC lightweight champion, but that doesn’t mean his interest in a clash with his predecessor has ended.
The rivalry between Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor came to a head in Brooklyn on Thursday when McGregor attacked a bus carrying UFC fighters, including Nurmagomedov.
It’s understood that McGregor was attempting to exact retribution over an incident that occurred earlier in the week, when a verbal altercation ensued as Artem Lobov — McGregor’s friend and team-mate — was cornered by Nurmagomedov and members of his team.
Video footage appeared to show McGregor throwing a hand truck through the window of the bus. His immediate future is uncertain after he appeared in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Friday to face charges of criminal mischief, misdemeanor assault and menacing and reckless endangerment. He was released on bail but must return for a hearing on 14 June.
On Saturday night at UFC 223, Nurmagomedov won the UFC lightweight title by recording a unanimous-decision victory over Al Iaquinta. The belt, which McGregor won in November 2016, has been stripped from the Dubliner as a result of his failure to defend it during the 17 months for which it was in his possession.
“We have to finish this beef,” Nurmagomedov said. “Beef, chicken, or something like this. He has to stop eating Burger Kings and — you want to fight? Come. I told you guys; we’re going to make him humble. I told you guys; I’m going to change this game.
“Now, [there's] only one champion. No more fake champions. No more champions who never defend the title. Now, UFC has a champion, and this champion wants to defend his title. You want to fight? Come here.
“Inside the cage, come. Outside the cage, let me know, without cameras, without all this media. Like men. He came when a lot of security [were] here. Outside the bus, inside the bus, security here didn’t let me go out. Let me know and that’s it, any time.”
UFC president Dana White called McGregor’s bus attack “the most disgusting thing that has happened in the history of the organisation”, but they seemed content to capitalise on the publicity by including the footage in their ‘Embedded’ series of videos in the aftermath.
Nurmagomedov, who now has an unblemished professional record of 26-0, believes it’s an indication that the UFC is already considering a fight between McGregor and its newest champion. While McGregor has some legal issues to contend with in the meantime, the 29-year-old Russian has suggested Madison Square Garden as a potential venue.
The iconic arena in New York is where McGregor won the lightweight belt by stopping Eddie Alvarez via second-round TKO. The UFC is rumoured to be planning an event at the Garden in November.
Nurmagomedov: “They already promote this fight, right? I hope he [McGregor] is going to fight. We have to fight. Make a world tour everywhere — Tokyo, Moscow, Dublin, Los Angeles, Rio. Big world tour, promote this fight, and fight [at the] end of the year [in the] biggest arena in the world — Madison Square Garden.”
