Quote: Conor McGregor Could Face Khabib In First Lightweight Defense

As always, once Conor McGregor steps out of the Octagon from his latest UFC battle, the conversation of who ‘The Notorious One’ will face next immediately sparks.

Now that the Irishman holds the coveted 155-pound title a plethora of worthy contenders now await for the former featherweight champ to make his first lightweight title defense. One such contender is No. 1-ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov who is currently undefeated in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career with a 24-fight undefeated streak.

While no confirmation of an official bout between Nurmagomadov and McGregor has been made, UFC President Dana White hinted at the possibility during a recent interview with FOX 5 in New York. The promotion is pushing heavily to get a show in Nurmagomedov’s home-country of Russia, and thinks a match-up between ‘The Eagle’ and McGregor would be a massive selling point:

“We’re focused very heavily on Russia right now,” White said. “First of all, there’s tons of talent coming out of Russia, and a lot of fans. There’s a fighter named Khabib who’s from Russia, and he’s insanely popular. The next fight could be Conor vs. Khabib.”

McGregor is coming off of a historic win at UFC 205 in which he defeated Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title, as the then-featherweight champion would become the first dual-weight champ in UFC history. After rumors circulated the newswire stating that ‘Mystic Mac’ wanted to take 10 months off to enjoy the birth of his first child, McGregor has since shot down those claims and is looking to return after the holidays.

Nurmagomedov is coming off of a win at UFC 205 as well, when he defeated Michael Johnson via third round submission after dominating the first two rounds of the bout in impressive fashion. ‘The Eagle’ is often referred to as the uncrowned king of the lightweight division, and may get the opportunity to solidify himself as the best 155-pounder in the world with a potential match-up with ‘Notorious’ next.

McGregor’s amazing accuracy and power being matched up against Nurmagomedov’s unstoppable grappling skills should prove to be quite the pairing, but who’s tools will be enough to get the job done?