Conor McGregor v Khabib rematch off after Russian says ‘minor league’ rival would have to win ten fights in a row first
KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV has cast Conor McGregor as a “minor league” fighter to dismiss talk of a rematch between the UFC rivals. After over a year out of the Octagon, the Irishman returns to fight Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone on January 18. McGregor hasn’t won a fight since November 2016 with Dagestan star Khabib beating him in […]
KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV has cast Conor McGregor as a “minor league” fighter to dismiss talk of a rematch between the UFC rivals.
After over a year out of the Octagon, the Irishman returns to fight Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone on January 18.
McGregor hasn’t won a fight since November 2016 with Dagestan star Khabib beating him in four rounds on their first meeting.
When asked about a potential reunion, Khabib claimed the 31-year-old’s next fight is an irrelevance.
He told reporters: “I think Cerrone has lost seven or eight of his last ten fights and the other one is going into his fourth year with no victories.
“It’s like the minor leagues – it really doesn’t matter who wins there.”
April will see Khabib test his unbeaten MMA record against Tony Ferguson and UFC boss Dana White has asserted a McGregor rematch is on the cards in the following months.
He had said: “If Conor can get through Cowboy and if Khabib can get through Tony, then we would be looking at a rematch with Conor and Khabib down the line here pretty soon.”
However that is of little interest to the Russian at this stage.
He continued: “I’m surprised that Dana White is saying that if Conor beats Cerrone and I beat Tony Ferguson that there will be a rematch.
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“I decide who I fight next.
“To fight me he has to cut weight first, down to 70kg, and then win ten fights in a row like I did.
“Then we’ll think about a rematch.
“But for now he can fight second-rate fighters who lose seven out of ten fights at 77kg, but to think he deserves the lightweight belt, well, I’m champion so that won’t happen, don’t worry.”