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After a decisive victory over a very tough challenger in Dustin Poirier, Khabib Nurmagomedov is now amidst negotiations for his big upcoming fight with Tony Ferguson. While no date has been set in stone, it's believed that the two top Lightweights in the division will inevitably face off in the first quarter of 2020.
Khabib wants to fight in Russia
Even though Conor McGregor asked Dana White to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov in Russia, it might be Tony Ferguson who gets the opportunity to do so. When speaking to Channel 1 Russia, the UFC Lightweight Champion revealed his intentions to fight in Russia for his upcoming title defense.
“Negotiations are continuing with the UFC. I really want to fight in Russia. In St. Petersburg there’s a closed arena [Gazprom Arena].
He stated that there's an option in Moscow as well, but rain would pose a problem.
“In Moscow, Luzhniki Stadium is open… I was there at the [football] World Cup final when it rained, if that kind of rain happened it would ruin an [MMA] event.
“In St. Petersburg the stadium seats 75,000 people, I could fight there. In a small arena it wouldn’t work.
“I really want to fight here, talks are continuing, I’m about 80 percent sure my next fight will be in Russia.”
One thing is for sure, if Khabib does manage to land the fight in Russia, it's going to be in a massive stadium. It'll be the perfect setting for the fight because Tony Ferguson is widely believed to be the only Lightweight who poses a genuine threat to Khabib Nurmagomedov and his dominance as Lightweight Champion of the World.
The other fight that Nurmagomedov is interested in is one against former 2-time Welterweight Champion and Middleweight Champion Georges St-Pierre. In all likeliness, that's a fight that won't be happening.
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