Watch: Daniel Cormier reveals how Khabib Nurmagomedov earned himself a fight against Conor McGregor
On his show, DC & Helwani, Daniel Cormier revealed how his teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov was able to earn himself a fight against Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Nurmagomedov had called out Conor McGregor after his fight with Michael Johnson in the prelims of UFC 205, which had Conor McGregor vs Eddie Alvarez as its main event.
DC believes that fighting on an event with Conor McGregor brings in unfathomable attention on an athlete. He made a reference to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s infamous 'chicken' call-out of Conor McGregor and said that it made the fans and the UFC take notice of him.
Was Khabib Nurmagomedov right in calling out Conor McGregor?
Ariel Helwani and Daniel Cormier were discussing the outcomes of a call-out for a fight against Conor McGregor by the winner of the co-main event at UFC 257. The duo believes that if the winner of Hooker vs Chandler gets on the microphone to call-out McGregor, it would pay dividends as in the case of Nurmagomedov at UFC 205.
"If I’m Dan Hooker and I win, I’m going to immediately say something about McGregor. McGregor doesn't have the ability to not respond, he will say something back. He will say something and elevate you.”
DC said he realises that Khabib Nurmagomedov is presently one of the biggest stars in the world. Cormier believes that Nurmagomedov’s fight with McGregor had a lot to do with the massive stardom he has achieved. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s post-fight call-out at UFC 205 stirred up the Irish fans and led to his name being mentioned with Conor McGregor. This helped him in building up a potential fight for the lightweight title.
Khabib Nurmagomedov attained immense fame after defeating Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 229. His following on social media platforms saw an increase of about 10 million in quick time, Cormier mentioned.
A rematch between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor is one of the most anticipated fights in the UFC. UFC president Dana White has stated that he is going to meet with Nurmagomedov on his upcoming visit to Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
But it is uncertain whether Nurmagomedov would be returning to the octagon to fight another time after announcing his retirement following the win against Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 254.