UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed two possible dates for his next fight in the UFC.
Nurmagomedov won Conor McGregor’s vacant Lightweight belt after defeating Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision at UFC 223.
The Russian was supposed to fight Tony Ferguson for the belt, however, that fight ultimately fell through for a fourth successive time after Ferguson withdrew from the bout with a knee injury.
Instead of trying to arrange another fight with Ferguson, Nurmagomedov mentioned Georges St. Pierre and McGregor as potential opponents with September 9 and October 6 as possible dates for his next fight.
“A lot of people ask me about my next fight,” said Nurmagomedov.
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“To be honest I don’t know. I don’t know when it’s going to be. Now we talk about this with the UFC. It’s going to be maybe 9 September or 6 October.
“I don’t know about opponent; Conor, GSP, whoever. It doesn’t matter, we’ll see. Next couple of weeks it’s going to be very fun because now we’re beginning to talk about my next fight with the UFC. I feel great, I feel good. Now we have Ramadan and we are training only at night and feeling good and great.
“My weight is good, my shape is good. I am always training everyday, sometimes I train two times.”
UFC president Dana White told ESPN during the build up to last weekend’s UFC event in Liverpool that he planned on sitting down with McGregor in the Merseyside city to discuss business. However, at the UFC post-fight press conference, he confirmed that that meeting never happened.
“Conor and I are going to meet in Vegas. Yeah, he and I haven’t seen each other since New York. We haven’t seen each other, we haven’t talked, nothing. So we need to see each other soon.”
White has said that both Khabib and McGregor want to fight each other but that the probability of the bout materialising largely depends on the outcome of McGregor’s court case in New York next month; where the Dubliner faces charges of assault and criminal mischief for an attack on a UFC fighter bus prior to UFC 223.
“I’m pretty confident that is the fight that Conor wants and I’m pretty confident that’s is the fight Khabib wants,” added White of a potential showdown with Nurmagomedov.
“I can see that happening. It all depends on what goes on with him in New York (court case) in June. We can’t determine anything about what’s next for him until June is cleared up.”
