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UFC superstar Conor McGregor returns to action later this month against Dustin “The Diamond” Poirier, but MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz said he doubts the winner of UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor 2 will receive a coveted rematch against his client, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“(Would) beating Conor McGregor mean anything? I don’t know,” Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports. “But I think it would mean a lot for the fans, and I think financially, it’s a huge fight. But we know Khabib. It’s hard to persuade him financially.”
Abdelaziz doesn’t believe Nurmagomedov will be lured back into the cage to face McGregor anytime soon even though the champ’s fourth-round submission of the Irish superstar was the best-selling UFC pay-per-view event in company history.
Moreover, the manager scorched McGregor over what happened two years ago at UFC 229.
“He beat the s*** out of Conor,” Abdelaziz said. “He did everything he wanted to do. He beat him in the striking department. He beat him in the wrestling department. He beat him in the grappling department. He broke his soul. He took his will.”
So as far as Khabib’s manager is concerned, there’s likely no chance McGregor gets the opportunity to settle the score with Nurmagomedov in 2021.
“We don’t really care about him,” Abdelaziz said. “Somebody might say $100 million or something like that. I don’t think would persuade Khabib if Khabib did want to fight. I really don’t know. I really didn’t pressure Khabib or ask him about it too much. I let him be.”
Nurmagomedov Will Meet With UFC
Abdelaziz does this kind of thing through the media all the time, so it’s important to note that he also revealed his client was set to meet with UFC president Dana White to discuss his future sometime soon.
“But my man Dana White and Khabib, they’re going to meet,” Abdelaziz said. “I think they’re going to meet in Abu Dhabi, and after that, Khabib’s going to come to Vegas and they’re going to go to dinner in Vegas, and we’re going to figure it out.”
Abdelaziz believes Nurmagomedov could be lured back to UFC action at least one more time to face retired UFC legend Georges St-Pierre next.
Both Nurmagomedov and “GSP” have expressed interest in the past about sharing the Octagon, but White has mostly shot the idea down over the years.
Regardless, nobody knows what will happen when White and Nurmagomedov meet, and there’s so much money on the table for a potential Khabib vs. McGregor rematch that the idea of it simply can’t be dismissed.
No Rematch for “The Diamond” Either?
Similar to Nurmagomedov’s dominant win over McGregor in 2018, “The Eagle” also finished Poirier in 2019.
That means Nurmagomedov already holds wins over three of the top four contenders at 155, including the No. 1- and No. 2-ranked fighters: Justin Gaethje and Poirier.
What does it mean? Don’t expect to see Nurmagomedov welcome Poirier to the cage again if the American beats McGregor later this month at UFC 257 either.
Nurmagomedov retired after beating Gaethje at UFC 254, and he probably won’t be returning to action.
At least, that’s what Nurmagomedov has suggested repeatedly since laying his gloves down in the center of the Octagon three months ago, and that’s what his manager Abdelaziz keeps telling people might happen, too.
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