"I don't think there will be provocations": Nurmagomedov on the meeting with McGregor, USADA checks and religion

- You purchased the Gorilla Fighting Championships and renamed this promotion to Eagle Fighting Championships.

What are your expectations for this project?

- I want to bring a lot to this promotion so that I have one hundred percent rights.

We have already made a couple of good deals with both Match TV and sponsors.

We have big plans, we want to bring this organization to the level of one of the best in the world.

- Will there be any innovations in terms of rules?

- We haven't thought about it yet.

The only thing is that we want to focus on the younger generation, create platforms for them where they could perform, grow up as fighters and people.

Lately, there are few MMA tournaments, many fighters are sitting idle due to the pandemic.

They just train and wait for good weather by the sea.

- Did you have a conversation with Dana White about resuming your career?

- I haven't met the head of the UFC yet.

The last time I saw him right after the fight with Justin Gaethje, we talked for about five minutes.

There was no question of resuming a career - only 40 minutes passed after the fight.

When Tagir Ulanbekov and Umar Nurmagomedov will fight at the UFC tournament on January 23, we will see each other and talk.

We have a lot to discuss and reflect on.

“What does White have to offer to make you even think about renewing?”

- White first of all will offer money, and it is hard to surprise with a rival.

I've already strangled Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, what else to do?

What else to find out?

There is only money left, and there is no sports interest.

Both of these champions surrendered to me, it is no longer interesting to fight them.

The horse does not run until the donkey wins.

There is an Avar saying.

Donkeys do not participate in horse races.

Now, if $ 100 million is offered, then this is already a problem.

And I don't see any sports interest.

- Would you like to meet with Tony Ferguson?

He could become a contender for the title if he defeated Charles Oliveira on December 12.

- Let Ferguson win, he hasn't won anything for a long time, and before that he lost to Justin Gaethje.

Because of his age, many do not believe in him.

The sheriff's Indian doesn't care.

Let him deal with his problems.

Why should I think if he will succeed or not?

After the fight with Gaethje, I lost the desire to think of Ferguson as a competitor.

- You retired, but you remain the UFC champion.

Have you thought about giving up the title?

- The rank of champion is also good, why hide.

It's nice to know that.

The time will come when there will be another champion or the belt will be vacant.

Let me enjoy it a little more.

I haven't thought about giving up yet.

Most likely, I will keep the title until I meet White.

- Some fans believe that if an athlete has finished his career, then he must keep his word.

Others see nothing wrong if he will perform again.

What is your opinion on this?

- Questions about the return will haunt me for the rest of my life.

I have no such plans, honestly.

I would like to focus on more serious things than just going back and winning.

I do not get pleasure from this.

People will always have different opinions.

Someone thinks that it’s wrong to return, someone thinks that it’s right and must fight.

My opinion - if you complete, then complete.

- How many people knew that you would end your career?

- Almost nobody knew about it.

It was hard to do it, because I have been fighting all my life.

Sometimes we think we can't do anything else.

Often this happens because we do not want to do anything else.

Each person has great potential.

The main thing is to open up in your own direction.

When we went to fight, no one knew about my decision.

If I lost to Gaethje, the solution would be the same.

I don’t know how I would react to this, I didn’t even think about defeat - I wanted to go in and win.

I don't even know what I would say if I lost.

- Who was your toughest opponent?

- I have not had easy fights.

Maybe from the outside they seemed so.

Psychologically, they always pass hard.

And if physically, then I cannot remember such fights, when I thought that I was failing, not working.

There were no such fights.

I almost always executed the battle plan perfectly.

And psychologically it was hard.

It became more difficult with each fight, because recognition appeared, popularity increased.

I carried it all on my shoulders.

- Are you considering the possibility of holding an exhibition fight, some kind of superfight?

- During my career, I ate these super contractions.

There are no plans in this regard.

Some charitable moments can still be allowed, but in general there is no such interest.

I only recently had a fight and have not yet had time to rest, and already throwing into superfights.

- Is your fight with boxer Floyd Mayweather possible?

Did you negotiate with him?

- There were talks about the fight, since we are both undefeated athletes.

There will be more conversations, because all my fights were like an interesting Brazilian TV series that suddenly ended, and people want it to continue.

There are many who are dissatisfied with the fact that I graduated at 32, at the peak, but we cannot please everyone.

Sometimes your interests come to the fore.

- Are you still being checked by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)?

- I am on the USADA lists as a reigning athlete and UFC champion.

I was told that they would test me for another six months after the fight.

Whether you left or not, people will come and check.

It makes no difference to me whether they took the tests 46 or 47 times, there were no problems.

I run on gasoline, not chemicals.

- Tens of millions of people continue to follow your comments.

How carefully do you think over the words?

Didn't you think that saying about Emmanuel Macron was too emotional?

- I don’t know how to answer correctly so as not to get into all the headlines.

When I read someone else's statements about religion, I consider them radical.

I have such a worldview.

Someone considers them normal.

Let's not procrastinate on this topic.

It is difficult for me to constantly speak out on this or that issue, but it is also sometimes wrong to be silent.

- McGregor and Poirier will fight on January 23rd.

Fights of wrestlers from your team are scheduled for the same date.

What happens if you meet McGregor there?

- We will act according to the situation.

I can meet someone everywhere.

If someone doesn't like you, that's okay.

Maybe the UFC made it so that we crossed paths, they know how to do it.

Nobody can compare with the UFC in this - they are ahead of everyone in the promotion of battles.

- What will you do if McGregor extends his hand to you?

- Anything can be.

You can never say no.

It happens that people kill each other and then reconcile.

Even if they do not forgive in their hearts, then at least they arrange a truce.

I think everything can be in life.

I don't think there will be provocations, because he needs to think about his fight.

- They say that Islam Makhachev may become the UFC champion in the future.

He did not take part in battles this year.

What condition is he in now?

- We talked about canceling his fights.

He needs to stay active, fight and perform more often.

I would like him to fight in February, negotiations are underway on this.

In my opinion, the opponent doesn't matter now.

We must return, fight, win, make a series of victories.

And only then, after Ramadan, you have to fight again.

I believe that Islam will be able to end the fight ahead of schedule with any opponent provided by the UFC matchmakers.

You will see it for yourself very soon.

This year he lacked sports luck, but next year we are planning three fights for him.

- Who, besides Makhachev, is now the main contender for the UFC lightweight title?

- I think Dustin Poirier has more chances.

It seems to me that he is on the rise.

He won before me, after he defeated a fighter from the top five.

I think he has a little more chances than the rest.

But all fighters are roughly equal.

- You met with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the inclusion of mixed martial arts in the program of the Games.

How did these negotiations go?

- I have not met with the IOC, I just said that I want to meet.

This is an interesting question for me.

There are already like-minded people who also want mixed martial arts to be included in the program of the Olympic Games.

Perhaps in 2028 it will be possible to do this.

If you build a plan of action, then you can come to this.

MMA has a lot of attention from television and sponsors, and this is important for the Olympics.

You just need to decide how tough this sport will be.

I don't know how the IOC looks at this.

I think we can change gloves, prohibit some blows.

Many people practice MMA.

If everyone is united and efforts are directed in one direction, then this can be achieved.

- What can you say about the recent fight between Mike Tyson and Roy Jones?

- This fight was especially interesting to me.

Probably, my loyal fans thought that Khabib would someday be seen like this when he was over 50 years old.

I have a double feeling.

They made money, said that they would spend most of the royalties on charity, there were many positive emotions.

I liked that we didn’t cause much damage to each other, we came out as sparring.