UFC/MMA News: Khabib Nurmagomedov contract clause confirms UFC is stripping Conor McGregor of title

What’s the story?

In an interview with TMZ Sports, Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed a few intricate details of his UFC 223 contract.

Apparently, Nurmagomedov has asserted that a clause in his contract confirms that Conor McGregor will indeed be stripped of his UFC Lightweight title.

In case you didn’t know…

Conor McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez in November of 2016 to win the UFC Lightweight Championship.

However, McGregor hasn’t competed in the sport of MMA ever since, with his only pro-fight coming in the boxing ring—a 10th round TKO loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last year, in what was McGregor’s pro-boxing debut.

The heart of the matter

Meanwhile, the UFC recently announced that Interim Lightweight champ Tony Ferguson will fight the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 223 for the ‘world Lightweight title’—with UFC President Dana White refusing to confirm or deny whether or not the UFC 223 bout is for the Undisputed Lightweight title as said title is held by Conor McGregor.

Should the UFC 223 bout truly be a UFC Lightweight Championship match, logic dictates that the organization will have to strip McGregor of the title. Nurmagomedov asserted that he’s one hundred percent sure about McGregor being stripped of the title—

“We’re gonna fight for his belt…The UFC will strip his belt, and now we’re gonna fight for the real belt.”

“I have a contract, like, real belt, (so) what are they gonna do? They only have one real belt—they have the interim belt, and they have the real belt…We’re gonna fight Tony Ferguson for the real belt; they (can) strip McGregor’s belt or not, (but) I have a contract.”

Furthermore, Nurmagomedov noted that McGregor is back in talks for a potential fight with Floyd Mayweather once again. Nurmagomedov also took a shot at McGregor—referring to the latter as a boxer who doesn’t want to go through the MMA rigors of wrestling, grappling, conditioning—opining that he doesn’t think McGregor is ever returning to the UFC.

What’s next?

Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov for the World Lightweight Championship takes place at UFC 223 in April.

Meanwhile, Conor McGregor is presently lobbying for a $500 million-plus MMA fight against Floyd Mayweather in the UFC.

Author’s take

Let’s face it—2018 is set to be a wild and unpredictable year in combat sports and could see a rehash of last year’s Mayweather vs. McGregor ‘Money Fight’, only this time inside the Octagon.

The UFC has no choice but to bring clarity as to whether or not the UFC 223 bout is for the real, Undisputed UFC Lightweight title of the world.

Fans can expect an announcement of McGregor officially being stripped of the Lightweight title anytime in the lead-up to UFC 223.