“The conditions of the upcoming battle are some of the best in the history of MMA”
The less time left before the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Porrier in Abu Dhabi at the UFC 242 tournament, the greater the excitement around him. Two weeks before defending the title, the Russian moved up to second place in the combined rating of UFC fighters (regardless of weight category). Now in it he is second only to light heavyweight champion John Jones.
As for the financial component, then Nurmagomedov also broke into a leading position in the world of mixed martial arts. In particular, it became known that a domestic athlete will earn more for a fight with Porrier than for a legendary duel with Conor McGregor, for which he received about $ 2 million. This was stated by Russian manager Rizvan Magomedov.
“Earnings will be much more. The only thing I can say: the conditions of the upcoming battle are among the best in the history of MMA, ”RBC quotes Magomedova.
Kamil Gadzhiev, president of the Fight Nights Global promotion, suggested how much money the Russian fighter would receive.
“Given that the tournament will be held in Abu Dhabi, the final fee may be even higher, since Habib is the only“ driver ”of the entire event. It's about millions of dollars. If it weren’t for Khabib, the UFC would not have fought in the UAE soon, ”Hajiyev said.
“I know I can make Habib surrender”
Despite the fact that Nurmagomedov is the favorite of the confrontation and has not suffered a single defeat in his career, his opponent is very determined. Moreover, he promised to finish the match ahead of schedule with the Russian.
“I don’t think about how I will finish the fight. But I know that I can make Habib surrender. I will stop the match ahead of schedule, I don’t know if he will give up or it will be a knockout. But the victory over Nurmagomedov will be premature. On the ground, he is very dangerous. My goal is not to let Habib get on top. If the opponent lays on me three rounds of five, I need to win ahead of schedule. But I won’t let him do it. I don’t think about the future yet. The main goal is to win the championship belt, ”Porye quotes MMA Junkie.
But Nurmagomedov prefers to refrain from big words and calmly prepares for battle. In his social networks you can see mostly photos from training. By the way, the famous hockey player Evgeni Malkin has already addressed Habib on Instagram with words of support.
“Habib, hello! I wanted to wish you good luck. We cheer for you and are proud of you, remain courageous and strong, we will support and worry about you on September 7, be sure. You are the best, number one, ”Malkin said.
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It's nice to hear that the World Hockey LEGEND @ e.malkin71geno is rooting for @khabib_nurmagomedov
Publication by Sergey Zhatkin (@zhatkinmma) Aug 19, 2019 at 12:35 pm PDT
If Khabib himself is silent, then his father and trainer Abdulmanap sometimes talks to the press. For example, he recently praised Porrier's skill.
“I would say that Porrier passed a good test and showed himself with fighters like Max Holloway. Max is a recognized drummer who has been interrupting anyone's stance lately. He has grown a lot. For example, their fight with Ortega will generally enter the top three in the history of the UFC. Porrier defeated a strong guy, was closer to an early victory during the battle. He has impressive blows, he "stomped" Holloway three times. You cannot underestimate Dustin. It is no accident that he is now the first contender. This is one of the most competitive fights that can now be offered to Habib in the UFC. Porje proved it with his victories. Now he deserves to fight for a real belt, ”the Sport24 specialist quotes.
At the same time, Nurmagomedov Sr. said that on his son’s side were tactics, training and the level of the fighting school.
“I can’t imagine what might go wrong if someone beat us in a tactical scheme. I still managed to surpass everyone in this aspect. I hope this will continue. I am developing in this regard, and young guys allow us to talk about it and move. We are trendsetters. We decide how to fight, where to fight, at what pace. We are studying people. But they are ready to take apart the experience of others. Both in victories and in defeats, ”the coach added.
The upcoming battle continues to be actively discussed in the MMA community. In particular, the former UFC champion in two weight categories, the mixed martial arts legend Georges Saint-Pierre, did not hide his desire to meet with Habib.
“We worked very hard for this fight to take place. My agent constantly contacted the UFC, but the organization was categorically against it. I wanted to become a champion in three divisions. I really longed for this, but failed. At the same time, I knew that Habib wanted to have a fight with me, ”said Saint-Pierre.