Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed the time and location he’s targeted for his next fight, while making it clear that it’s Tony Ferguson that should be his opponent.
“It will be in March or April,” Nurmagomedov told RT Sport. “I said it clearly – I want to fight in a large arena, and the only large indoor arena in Russia is Gazprom Arena (in St. Petersburg) … I have to say that Tony Ferguson deserves it more. You have to give him credit. He is on a 12-fight win streak and he deserves it more than Conor.”
It certainly would be hard to deny Ferguson at this stage given what he’s accomplished on his route to a title shot, though it means that Khabib’s ambition to one day fight Georges St-Pierre in a true superfight for the ages would have to be put on the backburner for now.
As for his old rival Conor McGregor, Nurmagomedov remains in no rush to fight him again at this stage, but hasn’t ruled it out for the future.
“Conor has to come back (and) stop hitting old people. He is a professional fighter. He should come back, win, earn his place and get in line.”
