Dana White tells Khabib Nurmagomedov how lucrative a UFC rematch with Conor McGregor would be
Dana White recently partook in a much-awaited meeting with Khabib Nurmagomedov in Abu Dhabi, UAE. During the time that they spent together, discussing business and watching fights, White notably explained to Nurmagomedov how lucrative a rematch between him and Conor McGregor would be.
The first fight between archrivals Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov took place at UFC 229 in October 2018. The Notorious One was defeated by Nurmagomedov via fourth-round submission in their fight, and The Eagle thereby successfully defended his UFC Lightweight title.
One of the activities Dana White and Khabib Nurmagomedov participated in, as a part of this meeting, was attending a UAE Warriors MMA event that was co-promoted by the Russian fighter’s EFC (Eagle Fighting Championship). It was during this event that the UFC President once again pitched the rematch to Nurmagomedov.
This conversation between White and The Eagle can be viewed on the latest episode of Dana White: Lookin’ For A Fight –
“This fight (Conor McGregor’s fight at UFC 257) with Poirier is trending bigger than the fight with you and Conor on pay-per-view. Imagine what you and Conor would do in another f***ing fight. Just saying; I’m just saying.” Dana White said, as both he and Khabib Nurmagomedov proceeded to smile.
Khabib Nurmagomedov last competed at UFC 254 in October 2020, besting Justin Gaethje via second-round submission. Nurmagomedov successfully unified the UFC Lightweight title with his victory over Gaethje, and he subsequently announced his retirement from the sport of MMA.
The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov is far from over
Ever since Khabib Nurmagomedov let the MMA world in on his decision to leave the sport, UFC President Dana White has consistently asserted that he would try to persuade The Eagle to return.
White, as well as Nurmagomedov’s longtime manager Ali Abdelaziz, have indicated that they would convince Khabib to return for one more fight in the UFC.
Presently, Khabib Nurmagomedov has insinuated that if he does make a comeback, it’d be for a fight against MMA legend Georges St-Pierre, and he’d try to take his MMA record to 30-0. However, Dana White recently shot down the possibility of a potential Nurmagomedov vs. Georges St-Pierre fight coming to fruition.
Meanwhile, Dana White has been quite vocal about the fact that he would love to see Khabib Nurmagomedov face Conor McGregor in a rematch. Their first fight, at UFC 229, garnered more than 2.4 million PPV buys. It’s believed that their potential rematch would likely do even better business.
Moreover, Conor McGregor recently stated that the rivalry between him and Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t over yet. The Notorious One is currently set to face Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 (January 23rd).