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What's the story?
After securing the biggest win of his UFC career at UFC 229, there have been several talks regarding Khabib Nurmagomedov's next potential opponent inside the Octagon. And according to his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib could very well be in for a rematch against Conor McGregor - but this time inside the boxing ring.
In case you didn't know...
At UFC 229, Khabib marked his first successful Lightweight Championship defense of the title he had won at UFC 223 by beating Al Iaquinta. Against former division champion Conor McGregor, who was competing in the Octagon for the first time in two years, Khabib dominated the entire fight right from the get-go.
Khabib made the Irishman tap out to a nasty neck-crank in the fourth round of their fight. In the process, not only did he successfully defend the UFC Lightweight Championship, but he also handed McGregor just his second loss inside the UFC Octagon.
After the fight, however, a wild brawl between Khabib's and McGregor's teams erupted. The champion ended up climbing out of the cage and attacking Bellator Welterweight and McGregor's teammate Dillion Danis, throwing the entire arena into chaos.
The heart of the matter
While speaking with Russian news outlet Izvestia, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov opened up about a potential rematch between his son Khabib and his arch-rival McGregor. However, this time, Abdulmanap proposed the probability of a boxing bout between the pair. (H/T: MMA Fighting)
“As for the fight against Conor under boxing rules, this is a fight we are interested in. Khabib showed that he is able to beat the best strikers of mixed martial arts. He said this before, but few believed it. However, after strong victories over Michael Johnson, Edson Barboza, and Conor, people begin to believe," Abdulmanap said.
In addition, Abdulmanap also claimed that his son is more than capable of showcasing his talents in the boxing ring and winning a boxing match as well. The Eagle's father also believes that one of the key skills that his son possesses is endurance, which was clearly on display in the Al Iaquinta fight at UFC 223.
“Nurmagomedov is able to do it in the boxing ring. Khabib has all the skills to win by the rules of boxing. One of the key skills can be called endurance. I remember his five-round fight with Iaquinta, in which Khabib showed his willingness to fight in absolutely any area, using everything from a light left jab to control on the ground. I want to note that the fight with Iaquinta was of great importance for us, there was a title belt at stake and it was important to keep the bout calm and take the win. Which we did,” Abdulmanap added.
What's next?
As of right now, neither Khabib's nor McGregor's next fight has been confirmed. But one thing is certain: the future definitely seems to be very interesting for both men.
