Current UFC lightweight no.1 contender Khabib Nurmagomedov has indicated that he would be willing to fight the No.2 ranked Tony Ferguson, but only for the interim 155lb title.
“I just want to go underground and take a break for a month and a half,” Nurmagomedov told MK.Ru. “Not from training and from the media, just the media, I’m tired. And in terms of plans in the UFC, there are two: an interim title fight with Tony Ferguson, or fight for a real belt against Conor McGregor.”
Nurmagomedov had originally threatened to quit if he wasn’t given a title shot against the new champion Conor McGregor, but with ‘The Notorious’ definitely out of action for at least six months while awaiting the birth of his first child, the Russian star has come up with a new plan.
“Of course, I would like the second option (McGregor), but am inclined to think that they want to set me up with Ferguson. Well, I’ll take the fight.”
Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdel-Aziz has claimed that the fighter has been offered an enormous sum of money to fight for a Russian promotion, though it’s not something he’s going to agree to.
“You have to understand, too, Khabib is getting; Khabib is under a UFC contract and I will never break a UFC contract and sign with another promotion,” Abdel-Aziz said on ‘The MMA Hour’ show. “He got offered $5 million from a promotion in Russia to fight. You understand? That’s how much the man can get. We would never do anything like that because we will always honor UFC contract.”
