Khabib Nurmagomedov's former opponent Michael Johnson ready to fight Conor McGregor at UFC 264; promises a stand-up war
Following a heated back-and-forth with Dustin Poirier on Twitter, Conor McGregor has called off his scheduled trilogy bout against The Diamond for UFC 264.
UFC lightweight Michael Johnson has offered to replace Dustin Poirier against Conor McGregor for the UFC 264 headliner. Calling out the Irishman on Twitter, 'The Menace' posted his TKO victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC Fight Night 94.
Johnson, who is known to be primarily a striker, also made a luring proposition to not engage in a grappling exchange if McGregor signs the dotted line.
"I know a guy you can fight on July 10th! And I won’t wrestle you!", wrote Michael Johnson.
With battles against the likes of Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, Michael Johnson has demonstrated his willingness to stand and fight against elite strikers. If the UFC decides to matchup Johnson against Conor McGregor, the fight is destined to be a barn burner.
However, it is highly unlikely that the promotion will pair Michael Johnson against Conor McGregor, considering that the 34-year-old is coming off four consecutive defeats.
When Michael Johnson fought Conor McGregor's arch nemesis Khabib Nurmagomedov
Michael Johnson had to reckon with the unrelenting Dagestani Sambo pressure of Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 205. The winner of their clash was decisively going to be next in line for the undisputed title shot. 'The Eagle' ragdolled Johnson throughout until subsequently catching the latter in a Kimura.
Citing his undefeated MMA streak, Khabib Nurmagomedov was unhappy with the promotion's decision to match Conor McGregor up against the then champion Eddie Alvarez. Nurmagomedov was irked by the promotion's special treatment towards The Notorious.
The frustration was evident when the Russian fighter repeatedly demanded a title shot from Dana White, who was sitting cageside at UFC 205. In between rounds, Nurmagomedov had a chat with White, asking for a match with Conor McGregor:
"I said, after this fight, don't send me your bullsh*t fake contract. Send me real contract. I want to beat your son. And he said, 'Oh! please finish your fight.' You know I already deserve (the title shot). After first round, I talked with him. I know Dana and Conor want to trash talk, but I want to talk real.", said Khabib Nurmagomedov in a post-fight interview.
Later, during a post-fight interview, Khabib Nurmagomedov embraced Michael Johnson backstage, expressing regret for having to put a brutal beatdown on the veteran.