Will UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov face Conor McGregor in US$50 million charity fight in Africa?
Undefeated Russian mixed martial artist says bout could help ‘people without proper drinking water’ but his idea will need official backing before he takes on any opponent
Russian professional mixed martial artist Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to host a US$50 million charity fight in Africa – and it could involve a rematch with the Republic of Ireland’s Conor McGregor.
[People in Africa] can’t even get proper drinking water … If we can raise US$50 million, or even US$40 million or US$30 million [from the fight], then this money can be used for charity
Nurmagomedov beat American fighter Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on September 7, to retain his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title – and take his professional record to 28 wins and no defeats.
After his victory, Nurmagomedov told reporters that he wanted to make his next fight a charity event in Africa to help raise money for people who “cannot get even proper drinking water”, although he acknowledged he would need the UFC’s backing to make it happen.
“If we can raise US$50 million, or even US$40 million or US$30 million, then this money can be used for charity in these countries,” he said, according to Gulf News.
We are famous and we have a lot of money, but we need to stay focused and humble
“We are famous and we have a lot of money, but we need to stay focused and humble,” he said.
UFC president Dana White has indicated his intention to take UFC to Africa – although not for charity – and while he has not commented on Nurmagomedov’s proposition, he has suggested some potential opponents for the 30-year-old to fight next, one of whom is McGregor.
Nurmagomedov beat McGregor by submission at UFC 229 in October, after months of headline-grabbing build-up, including the Irishman attacking a bus carrying Nurmagomedov in New York and calling him a “Dagestani rat”.
After the fight, Nurmagomedov jumped the cage to launch an attack on McGregor’s cageside friend Dillon Danis, for which Nurmagomedov was fined US$500,000 by the UFC.