

Khabib Nurmagomedov is not a contender for the Makhachev vs Topuria fight, but the former UFC champion has made one condition for the current featherweight division champion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was a guest of Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. The former lightweight champion of the UFC organization has recently returned to the corner after a moment’s break from the sport, and regularly appears at galas where his clubmates fight for world titles.
Ilya Topuria has expressed his desire to move to the lightweight category. The undefeated featherweight champion claims that in the division up to 66 kilograms there are no rivals for him at the moment. Khabib Nurmagomedov is not against this idea. However, the Dagestan puts one condition on the Georgian.
– I think that if he moves up to the lightweight category and beats Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira he will be first in line for the belt. Why? Because there is no one else in this division for Islam.
Nurmagomedov, however, doesn’t like the idea of an immediate title-shot for Topuria. Khabib wants Ilia to undergo a serious test in the lightweight division than face Islam Makhachev.
– No fight in the lightweight category? I disagree with this. Islam has already twice given a chance to Volkanovsky, who was moving up a division. Why should he do something like this a third time? It’s not fair to other fighters in the up to 70 kilogram category. Let him win against Charles then he will get the fight for the belt. And you know what? I think Topuria can beat him.