Khabib Nurmagomedov submits Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Photo: USA TODAY Sports
Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3033687/ufc-conor-mcgregor-no-longer-man-khabib-says Mixed Martial Arts
UFC: Conor McGregor is no longer ‘the man’ – Khabib is, says Dana White
- UFC president says lightweight champion Nurmagomedov gets to ‘sit back and call the shots’ now
- White suggests Irishman could fight winner of Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal
Khabib Nurmagomedov punches Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Photo: AP
It’s official: Conor McGregor is no longer “the man” – Khabib Nurmagomedov is.
That’s according to UFC president Dana White, who told The Boston Globe that the Irishman can no longer call the shots in his division.
Once the jewel in the company’s crown, former featherweight and lightweight champion McGregor has not fought since a fourth-round submission defeat by the Russian last October and his demands for a rematch are falling on deaf ears.
“Khabib is the man now,” White said. “Conor isn’t the man any more, so Khabib gets to sit back and call the shots.”
Where McGregor falls into place in the division remains to be seen, but White has ruled out a fight with veteran Frankie Edgar for his return.
“Next month at Madison Square Garden, we’ve got Diaz vs Masvidal, sold out,” White said. “So whoever wins that fight could fight McGregor.
“We’ve got ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, we’ve got Justin Gaethje, but what Conor wants right now really is the Khabib rematch. So we’ll see how that whole thing plays out.
“But if you’re Khabib, you got the Tony Ferguson fight, George St-Pierre wants to fight, and you’ve got the Conor McGregor fight.”