"This is a message for Dana White" - Khabib Nurmagomedov discusses who Henry Cejudo should fight next
According to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Henry Cejudo needs a very accomplished opponent if he is to return to the octagon. A former two-division UFC champion, Cejudo is also an Olympic gold medalist. Nurmagomedov believes the UFC needs to find him a matchup suitable for his stature if they want 'Triple C' back inside the octagon.
Nurmagomedov even claimed there's no one in the bantamweight or flyweight division who deserves to fight Henry Cejudo right now. In a recently released video by ES News, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Henry Cejudo can be seen hanging out together. They were discussing who the former bantamweight and flyweight champ should fight next.
Henry Cejudo said he is interested in two matchups - one being a featherweight title bout against Alexander Volkanovski and the other against Petr Yan in Russia. However, for the latter, Cejudo wants to be well compensated. Khabib Nurmagomedov even dropped a message to Dana White, asking him to look into the matter:
Khabib Nurmagomedov: "I think he needs someone good, like star, like, win and defend a couple times. He [Cejudo] can bring so much to the table but I don't think someone has that in the bantamweight and flyweight divisions, who can bring so much like him to the table. When he goes to the cage, he is going to bring an Olympic gold medal, flyweight and bantamweight belt you know. What are they going to bring?"
Henry Cejudo: "You know what I would love? If it was up to me, Khabib, I'd love to fight for another belt, legacy, against Alexander Volkanovski. Or, money. Petr Yan, I don't mind fighting Petr Yan in Russia, but they [need to] pay me money."
Khabib Nurmagomedov: "This is a message for Dana (laughs)."
Check out the conversation between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Henry Cejudo below:
While Henry Cejudo contemplates return, Khabib Nurmagomedov is happy to stay retired
While Henry Cejudo seems keen to return to the octagon, Khabib Nurmagomedov has no intention of fighting again. Despite repeated requests from UFC president Dana White, Nurmagomedov has maintained that he is done fighting.
Khabib now owns his own MMA promotion and corners his brothers and teammates for their fights.
The Eagle retired from the sport with a perfect 29-0 record and was previously ranked the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. During his reign as lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov picked up dominant victories against some of the best fighters on the planet, including Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.