"Francis come from very poor life" - When Khabib Nurmagomedov backed Francis Ngannou for $50m fight against Tyson Fury
Khabib Nurmagomedov will no doubt be happy for Francis Ngannou following news that 'The Predator' will face Tyson Fury in the ring later this year.
Last year, Nurmagomedov voiced his support for Ngannou's aspirations of making life-changing money by entering the world of boxing. 'The Eagle' spoke to Sky Sports about the former heavyweight champion's negotiation battle with the UFC. He stated that if Ngannou was offered a $50 million purse to box Fury, he should take it.
Khabib Nurmagomedov weighed in on the differences between fighters, stating that if 'The Predator' wanted to be regarded as the best heavyweight in MMA history, he would need to stay in the UFC. But if Ngannou's dream was to become financially independent, then a super-fight with Tyson Fury would be the best option.
'The Eagle' said this:
"If [Ngannou] can go to boxing and he's gonna make like $50/$60 million, he has to. Why not? I know Francis comes from very poor life, from Africa, he had no money, no house, nothing. If someone pays you more money, then go and take it. If your goal is money. But if you wanna make history and become the greatest heavyweight of all time, you have to stay in the UFC."
Watch the video below from 4:55:
The highly anticipated matchup between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou has been finalized to take place in October, in Saudi Arabia. It is currently unclear whether or not Fury's titles will be on the line come fight night.
Georges St-Pierre on possibly facing Khabib Nurmagomedov in a grappling match
Last week it was announced that Georges St-Pierre will be returning to competition at a UFC Fight Pass event in December. 'Rush' will be competing in a grappling match, but an opponent has yet to be announced for him.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has not competed in any combat sports since his retirement from MMA in 2020. However, there is speculation that St-Pierre could be facing 'The Eagle' later this year.
Despite having been retired for many years, both men have continued to train relatively consistently, and are both still in fantastic physical condition.
During fight week for UFC 290 last weekend, Georges St-Pierre appeared in front of the media. He was asked if he could potentially face either Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman or Anderson Silva in December.
He said this:
"They are all very attractive, but everybody has a different agenda. I have received a list from the UFC today, and we're going to check who's available. When we take a decision with the UFC and my people, we're going to make sure we go up against someone the people want to see me fight."
Watch the video below:
Georges St-Pierre says Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman and Anderson Silva "are all very attractive" as potential opponents for his upcoming grappling match. https://t.co/X7T8iGxtuT