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All eyes are on Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier with UFC 264 only a few days away, but Khabib Nurmagomedov has sent the two a reminder that the only reason they're in the spotlight is that he isn't around.
'The Eagle' used his Instagram stories to snipe at the two men who will be fighting in the main event of UFC 264. Khabib shared photos of himself choking out both McGregor and Poirier with the caption:
"Choke them out."
The fighter from Dagestan also shared a quote from former UFC two-division champion Henry Cejudo, who pointed out that McGregor vs. Poirier isn't a showcase of the best two lightweights in the UFC. The quote read:
"It ain't the best vs. the best. They're two guys that just happen to be fighting for something because Khabib doesn't want to fight. I'm convinced Khabib would beat both of them in one night."
Khabib Nurmagomedov successfully defended the UFC lightweight title against Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier in back-to-back outings in the octagon. McGregor challenged Khabib after a two-year layoff while then-interim champ Poirier attempted to unify the titles against him.
The Russian fighter dominated McGregor at UFC 229 before making him tap out in the fourth round via neck crank. Meanwhile, Poirier suffered a similar fate at UFC 242, succumbing to a rear-naked choke in round three.
Khabib Nurmagomedov picks Dustin Poirier
Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Dustin Poirier will not only emerge victorious against Conor McGregor in the trilogy bout, but he will become the 155-pound champion in the near future. In an interview with Sport 24, Khabib Nurmagomedov said:
"When Islam Makhachev reaches the top of the rankings, Charles do Bronx wont be the champion anyomore. I hope Charles understands my words. I really respect him, he deserves that belt, but when Makachev time has come, I believe Dustin will be the champion and it will happen this year.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov called time on his MMA career after successfully defending his UFC lightweight title for the third time against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. After fighting for 12 years, 'The Eagle' retired with an immaculate record of 29-0.
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