Kremlin Caution and Lee's Admiration
The date of the next fight of Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov is currently unknown, but he does not allow himself to relax and still devotes a lot of time to training, not limited to mixed martial arts. So, on his Instagram page, the champion of the Absolute Fighting Championship (UFC) published a photo in a boxing helmet and gloves.
View this Instagram post
Posted by Khabib Nurmagomedov (@khabib_nurmagomedov) Oct 1, 2019 at 4:10 am PDT
“The most important process in preparation is heavy sparring, during which you need to think about health, so as not to burden your body and stay in the middle ground,” Nurmagomedov signed the post.
For several months, there has been talk that his next fight may take place according to the rules of boxing. In this case, Floyd Mayweather Jr., the former world champion in five weight categories, should become his rival. The Russian himself expressed his desire to hold this particular match, several times challenging the American.
At the same time, many experts suggest that the UFC champion has virtually no chance of winning the ring. This opinion was also expressed by the General Secretary of the Boxing Federation of Russia Umar Kremlin.
“Going into boxing from another sport is, it seems to me, unrealistic. If this happens, and someone wins boxing, it will be a sensation. I think that Habib in his sport shows and proves that he is the best, ”the TASS functionary quotes.
The fact that Nurmagomedov is responsible for the training process was confirmed by his mentor Javier Mendes.
“Habib is always training, and now, apparently, is engaged in all kinds of nonsense related to obligations with the media and the like. But he is constantly training, ”- assured the trainer in an interview with Youtube channel AKA Fight News.
The persistence and hard work of the Russian is noted not only by fans and experts, but also by colleagues. This time, ex-contender for the UFC lightweight champion Kevin Lee expressed his admiration, currently playing in the welterweight division. He admitted that the battle between Nurmagomedov and American Dustin Porrier inspired him to work on himself.
“I won’t lie: it was very, very impressive, and everyone knows that impressing me is not so easy, especially with a guy like Habib. This fight even “woke me up”, forced me to work on myself. Literally at the end of it, I jumped into the car and drove to Montreal. I know what I need to work on now, ”Li MMAJunkie quotes.
St. Pierre's Diet and Ferguson's Taunt
Nurmagomedov repeatedly admitted that one of the most preferred rivals for him could be former two-time UFC welterweight champion Georges Saint-Pierre. In February this year, the Canadian announced his retirement, but recently published a post that gave his fans hope to see his idol again in business.
“Sushi tastes even better after 75 hours of water fasting,” wrote Saint-Pierre.
Some social media users have suggested that a soldier sheds weight to return to the octagon. A similar idea was expressed by Nurmagomedov, in the comments on the record, asking if the goal of the Canadian is not a light division.
However, the Canadian coach Firas Zahabi denied such an option for the development of the career of his ward. He emphasized that the age of the athlete will not allow him to easily lose weight. In addition, he said, Saint-Pierre currently has other priorities in life.
At the same time, the specialist named the names of rivals for the sake of which Saint-Pierre could resume training.
“I will not speak for Georges, but it seems to me that he will return only for the sake of megabye, some kind of a grand event. It's not even about the titles. The fight could have been for the title, but I do not think it is important to him. Only two big names could attract his attention - Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, ”said Zahabi.
After the second defense of the Nurmagomedov title, UFC President Dana White said that Tony Ferguson, the ex-holder of the temporary lightweight title, should become the next opponent of the Russian. After that, the American in social networks urged Khabib to join him in battle by the end of this year.
In one of his latest posts, El Kukuy turned to Nurmagomedov, reminding him of the meeting to be held in 2017, but the Russian had problems with weight loss. According to the American, the opponent allowed himself to eat too many desserts, which was the reason for the cancellation of the fight.
“I have said this before and will say it again. Time for tiramisu, ”Ferguson wrote on his Twitter.
McGregor's uniform and the date of the fight
As for another former rival of Nurmagomerov, Conor McGregor, his prospects are also unclear. Dana White told the British newspaper Mirror that the Irishman still wants to enter the octagon on December 14 in Dublin, but the likelihood of such a development is small, because the promotion is scheduled for this day UFC 245 tournament in Las Vegas, USA. He also rejected the suggestion that Justin Gatzy could be the next Irish rival.
Earlier, White noted that if McGregor does not want to go to Nevada, he will fight in 2020.
Almost a year has passed since the last duel of McGregor, and many fans have concerns about his form after a long break. However, his teammate, MMA fighter Makvan Amirkhani, assured that the athlete is working on his mistakes and will return to the octagon as a “different person”.
“In the end, he knows that for us athletes, happiness is not about money. It is about going out and speaking, and Conor is hungry before that. He knows that this is what brings him happiness, and this is exactly what he loves. Therefore, I sincerely believe that he will return. We saw a lot of evidence that he now thinks at a completely different level, ”Amirkhani is convinced.
The champion of the National Basketball Association in the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, who compares the Irishman with NBA legend Kobe Bryant, also believes in the return of the fighter to the previous level.
“Can he climb back? Sure. But changes are needed. Some get to the very top, and then they are dumped from there, and they have to grow again. So it was with Kobe Bryant. He had to go through all the difficulties, then to return to the top of the mountain. You learn, move on, become wiser, and because of this you grow, ”said the former basketball player in an interview with the Submission Radio Youtube channel.
In the meantime, it became known when the next fight of the Russian Islam Makhachev, a member of the Nurmagomedov team and speaking in the light weight category, will take place. According to manager Rizvan Magomedov, the fight will take place in early 2020. At the moment, Makhachev has 18 battles won, including a victory over Brazilian Davi Ramos as part of the UFC 242 tournament in Abu Dhabi.