UFC Predisent, Dana White, recently did a sit down interview with ESPN’s, Brett Okomoto, where he talked about the potential for UFC lightweight champ, Khabib Nurmagomedov, to come out of retirement for one more fight.
During the interview, White, stated that he plans on having a meeting with Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) once he get to Abu Dhabi, to find out if he can get him to defend his title one more time before he retires.
“I have no idea (if I can get him to fight again),” White said. “But I think he should fight again, and I’m gonna press him as hard as I can for one more.”
White says he hasn’t talked on the phone with Nurmagomedov since the night of his fight against, Justin Gaethje, at UFC 254, last October.
“Our first face to face real sit down that isn’t on a phone will be in fight island,” White said. “We’ll be face to face, and I will have an answer for you guys that night.”
Nurmagomedov, 32, retired immediately after his last title defense where he submitted Gaethje in the second round via triangle choke. His retirement came following the devastating loss of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the man who trained Khabib his entire life.
Khabib and his father had a dream of him going 30-0 and retiring as the undefeated, undisputed lightweight champ, however, after his father’s sudden death, prior to his last fight Khabib made a promise to his mother that his fight against Gaethje would be his last one.
Although Nurmagomedov kept his promise to his mother, him an his fathers dream of going 30-0 and retiring as champ is still just one fight away.
White told Okomoto that if he can get Khabib to return for one more, he plans on having it be against none other than former double champ, and bitter rival of Khabib’s, “The Notorious” Conor McGregor.
That is if McGregor can get the job done against former interim lightweight champ, Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier, at UFC 257, Sat., Jan. 23 at the Etihad Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
“No matter what you think of Conor, personally, Conor McGregor is not only one of the best in the world, he’s one of the best to ever do it, and right now he’s as focused as he’s ever been,” White said. “If this Conor sticks around for the next year, how do you not do Khabib vs. Conor again.”
