UFC president Dana White has said he would allow Khabib Nurmagomedov to pick any opponent for his final career fight, potentially opening the door to much-hyped showdowns with the likes of Conor McGregor or Georges St-Pierre.
Nurmagomedov is due to defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje at some point this year, but the Russian champion's plans appear somewhat uncertain following the recent death of his father and trainer Abdulmanap due to complications from COVID-19.
Also on rt.com 'It's my duty to see it through': Khabib meets Dagestani leaders to discuss late father Abdulmanap's sporting legacyHowever, Khabib's impact on the UFC has been such that if he decides to opt to wind down his career, White says that he has free reign to pick his final opponent from the UFC roster - even if that includes fights with the retired duo of McGregor and St-Pierre.
Should Nurmagomedov successfully defend his 155-pound championship against Gaethje, that would leave him with an exemplary professional record of 29-0, with speculation suggesting that Khabib could be tempted to hang up his gloves after reaching the 30-0 mark – and all signs suggest that White would be keen to put the Russian opposite a big name before he walks into the sunset.
"Obviously [Nurmagomedov's] got this Gaethje fight,” White told ESPN this week.
"That’s a done deal, he’s fighting Gaethje next. And I don’t know who his last fight would be to make him 30.
"At the end of the day, the Conor McGregor fight, I know Conor has wanted that fight since the last one. That's a fight to make, but I don't know. We'll have see how this plays out. But the Gaethje fight is absolutely, positively the next fight for him."
However, Khabib has outlined his desire to fight UFC legend St-Pierre before he calls his career to a halt and while it may be difficult to tempt the former two-division champion out of his own retirement, White says he would make the necessary calls to try and come to a deal.
Also on rt.com Real Madrid captain Ramos praises McGregor football skills, invites Irishman to train at club supported by rival Khabib (VIDEO)"Sure," White said when asked if he would consider St-Pierre.
"It’s the last fight of his career. The guy's been great. He’s been great to the company, great to the sport. I like Khabib a lot. I would do anything Khabib wanted to do."
Khabib last fought in September of last year where he earned a third-round submission against Dustin Poirier and had been expected to fight Gaethje this coming September before his family tragedy.