Khabib Nurmagomedov made a big statement on Saturday night at UFC 205 with a dominant win over lightweight No.5 contender Michael Johnson, but while he had the chance to get some things off his chest in his post-fight interview, he later accused the UFC brass of trying to silence him backstage.
“Listen, this is not a limit of my abilities,” Nurmagomedov wrote yesterday on Twitter. “They didn’t invite me to post fight press conference, didn’t give my deserved POTN bonus. Trying to hide me from media as much as they can, so I won’t come close to the title fight. But they can’t even imagine how huge my hope for God. They like ‘win belts’? But I winning people’s hearts.
That being said, Dana White told the media backstage that Nurmagomedov had been yelling at him in-between rounds during his fight, and ‘The Eagle’ confirmed to reporters that was true.
“I talk to Dana in between rounds,” Nurmagomedov admitted. “I said, ‘Hey, don’t send me no more of your fake contracts, I need real contracts. ‘ So he said, ‘Hey, you have to finish this fight.’ I told him, ‘You already know I deserve this. After this fight, you need to send me a real contract.’ And then he told me to go finish it. After I finished fight I told him I’m waiting for agreement; maybe in Brooklyn, UFC 209, why not? February, UFC 210 in Las Vegas. Anywhere, it doesn’t matter. Russia, Ireland, I can fight in his backyard, anywhere. I know all of you know I deserve this.”
Nurmagomedov also called for a fight with McGregor during his Octagon interview with Joe Rogan, while also appearing to criticize the UFC.
“I want to fight your chicken,” Nurmagomedov said of McGregor. “Let’s go with your chicken.”
“I want to stay humble. But I have to talk because the other guys talk too much and … I understand the crazy power the UFC PR machine has.
“(McGregor), at the beginning of the year he tapped like a chicken but at the end of the year he is fighting for the title. Crazy.
“This is not trash talking. This is true. Irish, only six million. Russia, 150 million. I want to fight one of your chickens because there is no easy fight in this division.”
“Hey, guys. 10 years amateur fighter. 8 years undefeated pro MMA fighter, but nobody catch me. Only today one guy catch me. What are you talking about this? Wooooo! Michael Johnson – thank you for everything, but what you say about 24 win streak?”
Despite his passionate plea, it seems that the man he wants to fight, Conor McGregor, isn’t overly enthused by what he’s seen from the Russian star.
“He’s fought once in eight years,” McGregor stated at the post-fight press conference. “He ain’t fight too frequent for my liking. For me to commit to something like that, I need to see solid proof that people are gonna show up and he’s a consistent pull-out merchant. He had a good performance tonight. Fair play to him.
“I need to see active. I need to see activity. I need to see consistency. I need to see me. If you want me to come and change your life, if you want me to come pick you, you better have some damn reasons for me to do that.”
