Ali Abdelaziz Says Khabib Nurmagomedov Will Fight GSP Before Conor McGregor
Khabib Nurmagomedov is preparing to face UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson for the undisputed lightweight title at UFC 223.
Ali Abdelaziz is Nurmagomedov’s manager and he believes that the lightweight will fight former two division champion Georges St. Pierre before a bout with UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor materializes.
“The whole thing is this: If Khabib goes out there and demolishes him, and that’s what’s going to happen, this whole Conor thing is gone,” he said to Yahoo Sports. “All the aura, all the prediction [expletive] is gone. There’s no more Conor. There’s no more two million pay-per-view buys. There’s no more Floyd Mayweather rematch. They can make all these rematches, but they’re not going to do the big numbers because they know, man. They’re smart. But look, Conor is scared. He’s nervous. Why would you want to fight a guy who is going to eat your soul? You will see Khabib vs. Georges St-Pierre before you can see Conor vs. Khabib.”
GSP is currently on the shelf battling ulcerative colitis, while McGregor hasn’t been seen in the Octagon since UFC 205.
Abdelaziz even says that UFC President Dana White is protecting McGregor from facing the best opposition.
“90 percent of the time, Dana White will put the best guys together,” Abdelaziz said. “But when it comes to one guy, Conor, I don’t think Dana’s gonna put him against the best guy.”
UFC 223 takes place on Saturday, April 7 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York with Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
