Khabib Nurmagomedov wants Tony Ferguson UFC fight at Zenit St Petersburg’s stadium and Conor McGregor must ‘get in line’
Khabib Nurmagomedov will be back to defend his lightweight title in March or April.
While Conor McGregor has been pushing for a rematch with arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter around, both the Russian and UFC president Dana White are adamant Tony Ferguson deserves the next shot.
Ferguson is on a 12-fight win streak and Nurmagomedov wants to fight him in front of 80,000 people at Zenit St Petersburg's stadium.
"It will be in March or April," he explained.
"I said it clearly – I want to fight in a large arena and the only large indoor arena in Russia is the Gazprom Arena [in St. Petersburg], so I want to fight there."
Khabib realises it would be a good financial decision to fight McGregor again - a year after submitting him at UFC 229 - but insists the Irishman has to earn his way back to the champion and he must 'get in line'.
"From a fighter's point of view, [the McGregor rivalry] is a thing of the past," he said at the Synergy Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
"I have nothing to prove. But he has something to prove. We know he does. There's a lot of businessmen here and I think most of them will tell me to fight him because it'll bring money. I'd fight all the main contenders first, and I could fight him to benefit my agricultural projects.
"I have to say that Tony Ferguson deserves it more. You have to give him credit. He is on a 12-fight win streak and he deserves it more than Conor. Conor has to come back (and) stop hitting old people. He is a professional fighter. He should come back, win, earn his place and get in line."