There are three things that tend to pop up when an MMA reporter interviews any fighter – 1. Stance on PEDs, 2. The Reebok deal and 3. Conor McGregor.
Everyone in the MMA industry has an opinion on all three and undefeated UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov offered his take on the latter recently.
Nurmagomedov (22-0) is one of the most impressive fighters in the 155lb division and holds a victory over current champion Rafael dos Anjos but the Sambo specialist has been out for almost a year with injury.
And recently, the Dagestani was asked for his take on Conor McGregor’s proposed move to lightweight and he has claimed that should The Notorious take the step up to 155lbs, Nurmagomedov would “in four minutes, smash him.”
Nurmagomedov does claim to be a fan of McGregor’s though and believes that the Irishman has the beating of featherweight champion Jose Aldo when the pair meet in July for the belt.
“His striking, I like,” Nurmagomedov told BJPenn.com. “I think he will beat Jose Aldo, maybe finish him.
“But a lot of people think Jose Aldo will beat him. For me, I think he (McGregor) will kill him.
“But if he comes up to 155lbs … Welcome!”
Here is our dream – McGregor beats Aldo for the featherweight belt, Nurmagomedov beats Dos Anjos after Donald Cerrone for lightweight gold and we pit Ireland against Russia in Croke Park in 2016 for 155lb glory.
Is that so much to ask?