Former UFC Champion Believes He’s Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Kryptonite

Although Khabib Nurmagomedov only one the title a few days ago, there are already fighters calling him out for fights.

As seen in the main event of the UFC 223 pay-per-view event on Saturday night (April 7th, 2018) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, Nurmagomedov put on a dominant performance against Al Iaquinta and won the fight by decision to become the new lightweight champion.

Once the event was over, there some competitors calling for a fight with the new champion including former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.

During a recent Instagram Live, the former champ stated that he is the guy to hand Nurmagomedov his first loss in his pro-MMA career.

“I am Khabib’s Kryptonite,” said Alvarez (transcript courtesy of MMA Fighting). “You all know it. It’s the elephant in the room. I’m the guy in the lightweight division, the only guy, that can beat Khabib. Everyone knows it. He can run to Georges [St-Pierre] or run to Conor [McGregor] or run to whoever, I’m the guy. I’m the guy to put that ‘1’ in that loss column.”

If you recall, once Tony Ferguson had to pull out of the UFC 223 pay-per-view event, the UFC did approach Alvarez about stepping in and replacing him in the main event.

However, that wasn’t meant to be as Alvarez was over the 155-pound limit on six days notice.

“I will be gunning for the lightweight championship belt,” said Alvarez. “Khabib’s gonna take some time off, I believe, for prayer and reflection.

I don’t know where that leaves me but I’m gonna sit down with the UFC and let them know, I’m the guy to dethrone this man, I’m the guy to give him his loss. I beat champions, that’s what I thrive on. I love belts. I love collecting them. I love beating champions.”

“Khabib is king – temporarily,” said Alvarez. “Everything is temporary. . . Let ‘The Underground King’ do it one more time and get that belt back.”