Dana White wants Khabib Nurmagomedov to fight Conor McGregor in 2021
Dana White wants Khabib Nurmagomedov to fight Conor McGregor in 2021. The UFC President White has often stated that the rematch between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor would be one of the biggest fights in MMA history.
However, after The Eagle announced his retirement in October of this year, the MMA world has been unsure as to whether or not the dream rematch would come to fruition.
In an appearance on the Shout! In the Buffalo Football Podcast, Dana White addressed multiple topics. One of the key points of discussion was the upcoming UFC 257 matchup between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
White shed light upon McGregor’s future after UFC 257 and spoke about the potential rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
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“Yeah, when I fly out there, Khabib’s gonna be there too. So I’m gonna meet with Khabib while I’m there. In a perfect world, if Conor wins this fight, I would love to see the rematch with him and Khabib.”
“It’s the biggest fight that can be made. And it’s the fight that makes sense.” White said. (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
Dana White is all set to travel to Yas Island aka UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE, very soon. The first fight card in 2021 for the company will be UFC Fight Night 184 that’s scheduled for January 16th.
This will be followed by UFC Fight Night 185 that will transpire on January 20th. The final event for January will be UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 that’ll take place on January 23rd. All the three aforementioned fight cards are set to take place on Fight Island.
Dana White is expected to meet Khabib Nurmagomedov on Fight Island and discuss The Eagle’s future in MMA. White had previously stated that he’d try to persuade Nurmagomedov to end his retirement and return for another fight.
Furthermore, White believes that if Conor McGregor gets past Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, then The Notorious One facing Nurmagomedov in a rematch would be the biggest fight to be made.
Can Dana White convince Khabib Nurmagomedov to return?
Presently, the consensus in the MMA community is that Khabib Nurmagomedov is unlikely to return to the octagon unless he’s permitted by his mother to end his retirement.
Khabib Nurmagomedov had promised her that his fight against Justin Gaethje would be the last time he will enter the octagon and that he wouldn’t continue fighting without his father, the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, by his side.
Considering that, White is faced with an uphill task in negotiating with Khabib for his potential return to active MMA competition.
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