UFC News: Ali Abdelaziz sheds light on Khabib Nurmagomedov's next potential opponent
What's the story?
UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is coming off a huge title defense against Conor McGregor at UFC 229.
Nurmagomedov, who now has several options lined up on the table for his next opponent, could potentially either step right back into the Octagon, or could try his luck inside the boxing ring.
The Eagle's manager Ali Abdelaziz shed some light on the situation.
In case you didn't know...
At UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov marked his first successful Lightweight Title defense when he defeated former two-division UFC Champion, Conor McGregor, in what was McGregor's return to the Octagon for the first time in two and a half years.
Nurmagomedov dominated the fight right from the start and eventually made McGregor tap out to a neck-crank in the fourth round of their bout.
The heart of the matter
While speaking with MMAjunkie Radio earlier in the week, Nurmagomedov's manager Ali Abdelaziz stated that at some point in the near future, the Lightweight Champion will eventually decide what's next for him in the UFC.
As of now, Abdelaziz feels that it may eventually come down to a fight against Tony Ferguson, a rematch against Conor McGregor, or a boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather.
“Me, as his advisor, or as his brother, or as his manager, I have to tell him what’s the right decision to do. His father has to tell him the right thing to do. If he’s going to come back to a fight that’s going to make him the most money. He’s already 27-0, 12-0 in the UFC. He has one of the best runs in MMA history. Nobody has this run. How can he settle?"
Abdelaziz also stated that Mayweather is someone who doesn't have the guts to step out of his comfort zone and pursue a career in MMA. Further, Mayweather was also billed as just an "athlete", whereas Khabib is much more of a "fighter".
“He doesn’t have enough b**** to do this. He’s not man enough to come to MMA and fight. Boxing, it’s a semi-sport. MMA is a full sport for real guys. Floyd is not really a fighter; he’s an athlete. Khabib is a fighter.”
Additionally, Abdelaziz also said that a fight against Tony Ferguson is definitely going to be very easy for Khabib.
“Tony Ferguson is an unbelievable fighter, but I’m telling you, he’s one of the easiest fights for Khabib out there. He’s sloppy. He’s slow. Khabib will beat him. He will put a beating on him, a worse (beating) on him maybe than (he did to Conor). The fight will happen, but when it will happen, I don’t know.”
What's next?
Khabib Nurmagomedov's next fight is still uncertain, and following the brawl against Conor McGregor and his team at UFC 229 has definitely caused a lot of chaos. It remains to be seen who he takes on next.
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