Khabib eyes off shock fight against Floyd Mayweather
Khabib Nurmagomedov has called out Floyd Mayweather Jr after successfully defending his UFC lightweight title against Conor McGregor.
The Russian defeated McGregor at UFC 229 in Las Vegas earlier this month to retain his belt and a perfect record (27-0), although the victory was marred by scenes that followed the fight as both men clashed with individuals from the opposing camps.
But as the dust continues to settle on the fallout from that bout, Nurmagomedov registered an interested in taking on boxer Mayweather, who improved his record to 50-0 with a win of his own over McGregor last year.
Stood alongside Leonard Ellerbe, the chief executive of Mayweather Promotions, at an event in Russia, Nurmagomedov teased that he had handled McGregor better than Mayweather.
“Let’s go, Floyd, we have to fight now,” the 30-year-old said in a video posted to Ellerbe’s Instagram page. “50-0 versus 27-0, two guys who have never, never lost. Let’s go. Why not?
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Look who I ran into at tonight’s fights in Russia.
A post shared by Leonard Ellerbe (@leonardellerbe) on Oct 13, 2018 at 7:00pm PDT
“In the jungle, there is only one king. Of course, I am the king. He could not drop McGregor, but I dropped him easily. That’s right. Let’s go.”
Nurmagomedov and McGregor have temporarily been suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for their roles in the UFC 229 brawl, with a meeting set for October 24 to discuss further penalties.
‘Having seizures’: Khabib reveals brutal toll from McGregor fight
Khabib Nurmagomedov has opened up on the shocking physical toll of his victory over Conor McGregor.
The Russian fighter demolished McGregor at UFC 229, making the Irishman tap out in the fourth round.
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Khabib was dominant inside the Octagon, but has since made a shocking revelation about the affect the fight had on his health.
Khabib says he suffered a number of severe seizures the night before the fight, due to the weight he had to lose.
“The day before the fight I did not sleep at all,” he told Russian TV on Sunday.
“I had weight loss and I felt very bad. I was having seizures and I felt very ill.
“But if I lost I would not tell you about this. Because that would have been an excuse.
“However after the weigh-in everything was good. The main thing was my psychological attitude.
“If you are not psychologically ready then your physical training will not help you in the fight.
“I worry like any other fighter – the whole world is watching us.
“I’m not worried that anyone can beat me, I worry only about what I can lose. I am 30 years old and the years have passed very quickly.
“Victory, defeat, all of this is not as important as the good things in life.”
with Omnisport.