UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has rebuffed talk of a mega-money rematch with nemesis Conor McGregor, despite rumors of a Saudi Arabian bid to host the UFC superfight for $100 million.
The Dagestani Eagle stopped Irishman McGregor in round four of a title defense in October 2018 after months of bad blood between the two, which famously bubbled over in the aftermath of Khabib's victory.
A rematch has been rumored but Khabib, who is for a fifth time scheduled to face Tony Ferguson in April 18 for a defense of his belt, has repeatedly reiterated that there is no value in faving McGregor again.
Speaking at a Q&A at the football stadium of FC Anzhi in his native Makhachkala, Dagestan, Khabib was bewildered as to why a rematch of what he considered a sound beating garnered so much interest.
"I have a fight on April 18th. A very serious fight. For the past month and a half I’ve been consistently training day and night. I’ve gotten myself in good shape, to where I’m supposed to be 70 days before a fight. I feel great," Khabib said.
"What’ll happen after the fight – no one knows. I don’t worry about it. That’s what they want. I’m surprised that people even question me about a rematch. It seems that people want to continue the festivities after that fight.
"Everyone saw what happened in the octagon [versus McGregor]. I controlled the fight every step of the way. I did everything I wanted to him, he even gave up. How can we even discuss a rematch? We can only talk about continuing the festivities and making money. The question is: do I want that? I am focused on Tony Ferguson."
Also on rt.com ‘They want to pay Khabib $100m’: Ali Abdelaziz reveals HUGE Saudi offer and says Mayweather is ahead of McGregor for shot (VIDEO)Khabib's motormouth manager Ali Abdelaziz recently told TMZ Sports that UFC were willing to offer Khabib $100 million for a rematch with McGregor, who came back from a layoff since the Khabib loss to KO veteran Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds on January 18.
When asked what would be his reaction to a $100 million offer, the 31-year-old told reporters: "Why do I need that kind of money? There are so many organizations for example…There’s not only football for the blind, there’s Sambo and other sports. Let [UFC] give it to them, if they don’t know what to do with the money.
"But giving me $100 million for me to beat up that idiot again? I don’t think that’s rational."
Khabib is set to fight Ferguson in one of the most eagerly anticipated fights in UFC lightweight history at UFC 249 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn. It's the fifth time the fight has been arranged to happen, each time falling through due to injury of either party, and has left fans wondering if a similar fate with befall the latest arrangement either in the lead up to the fight or in the octagon.
"It’s impossible to predict a fight – what direction it’ll go in, that’s very difficult. I never worried about an opponent’s actions – what he’ll do and how he’ll do it. I always study an opponent’s strengths and try to deflect them when I get in the cage," Khabib told the gathered press.
"You, however, never saw a cut on me, not even a black eye. So I don’t think it’ll be a problem. My head and skin are good, nobody ever cut me and I don’t think I’ll get one that’s so bad that the judges stop the fight. It’ll be interesting, I’ve never been hit in a way that left a black eye, so he’s got a task for himself."