Khabib v McGregor 2: UFC boss Dana White gives update on rematch plans

Conor McGregor will likely get his chance to face Russian nemesis Khabib Nurmagomedov in the autumn, according to UFC chief Dana White.

McGregor returned to the octagon with a spectacular 40-second TKO win against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in January.

That led to renewed calls – not least from the brash Irishman himself – for a rematch with UFC lightweight king Khabib, who choked out 'The Notorious' in the fourth round of their fight in Las Vegas in October 2018.

UFC head honcho Dana White reiterated this week that McGregor will get another shot at the undefeated Dagestani, but would likely have to bide his time until autumn.

Khabib defends his title against longtime lightweight challenger Tony Ferguson in New York in April, and the Russian, who is a devout Muslim, would take a hiatus for Ramadan after that.  

“Khabib and Tony will fight in Brooklyn, and Conor will probably fight the winner,” White told The Will Cain Show on ESPN.

“Conor’s talking about not wanting to wait that long, I don’t know what else makes sense, but who knows with that kid. The reason everybody loves him [McGregor] so much is because he could say, ‘You know what, I want to fight this guy now,’ some other weight class or whatever. But he keeps it fun.”

When pressed on how long McGregor would have to wait to run it back with Khabib, White said: “Khabib will sit out after [Ramadan], so you’d be talking about the Fall, September, October, November.”  

But while the Irishman is desperate for another crack at Khabib, the Russian and his team have frequently dismissed the idea.

Khabib himself has said McGregor would need to “win 10 fights in a row” to be worthy of a rematch, while the Russian’s father and trainer, Abdulmanap, recently said the UFC would need to pay them $100 million to stand any chance of making it happen.

Elsewhere, White said UFC ‘BMF’ title holder Jorge Masvidal – another potential McGregor rival – would meet welterweight world champion Kamaru Usman in Las Vegas in July.

Masvidal, the consensus fighter of 2019, and Usman, who is unbeaten in 11 UFC bouts, were involved in a verbal confrontation in Miami this week as the pair performed media duties ahead of the Super Bowl in the city.

White said a grudge match between the two was set for the UFC’s annual International Fight Week in Vegas in July

“[Masvidal] and Usman will fight in Vegas, probably International Fight Week. If he wins, maybe we’ll do his first title defense down here in Miami.”

Whether this week's altercation is enough to change Masvidal's mind on an immediate bout with Usman remains to be seen however, as the Miami native has frequently stated his desire for a money fight with McGregor as being next up for him.