UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov successfully defended his title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, September 7, continuing to prove he is one of the most dominant titleholders in the sport.
And from the moment Nurmagomedov had his hands raised, people were beginning to debate what should be next.
The two most common names mentioned were former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson and former lightweight and featherweight titleholder Conor McGregor. However, it appears that Khabib has some other plans.
According to Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz, former welterweight king and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre will be next.
“Nobody really cares about what Tony says,” Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports, as transcribed by MMAjunkie.com. “Nobody gives a (expletive) really. As far as I know, GSP is next. That is what I want. Tony doesn’t get what he wants. We get what Khabib wants, and if Khabib calls me and says he wants Georges St-Pierre, Georges St-Pierre will be next.
“Georges is my friend for 10 years, and I know Georges wants to fight Khabib. If you’re going to compare Tony Ferguson, he beat a whole bunch of guys, but he never been a champion. I’m talking about if Khabib is going to fight for legacy, a fight with Georges St-Pierre will be a huge fight. Dana White is a business man. That’s why he’s the best promoter of all time. I think him and Georges St-Pierre make a lot more money and more headlines. People will care more. It’s a fight for who is the greatest of all time.”
Following UFC 242, UFC president Dana White said that Ferguson would be next “if he wants the fight.” But if Abdelaziz is correct and the champion is not interested in that matchup, it will be interesting to see if the St-Pierre fight can come to fruition.
