Conor McGregor Says Russian Fans Deserve To See Rematch With Khabib
Conor McGregor has taken his brand to Russia over the past week, and it has been notable for a few reasons. The former two-division champion has been lobbying for a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Dagestani grappler convincingly defeated Conor during their first outing in November 2018 at UFC 229, defeating the Irishman via submission to retain the lightweight title.
McGregor has since claimed that he wasn’t completely focused for the fight, and had to deal with a few injuries. While the veracity of those claims can and will be disputed, he went to Kiev and Moscow over the past week, and has been talking up a rematch with “Eagle”. While UFC president Dana White has already said Khabib will next face Tony Ferguson, McGregor has his sights set on a few milestones.
“Notorious” outlined his plans for 2020, saying he first wants to fight in January, then face the winner of Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal fight, and finally take on the winner of Khabib – Ferguson for the lightweight title. Conor also recently claimed that the people of Russia deserved to see a rematch with Nurmagomedov.
Conor McGregor also questioned Khabib’s popularity in Russia, saying, “He’s afraid of the Moscow bout for whatever reason. I’m not sure, does he represent Russia? I don’t think he represents Russia.” (h/t The Mac Life)
The Irishman went on to demonstrate his striking with Cian Cowley, before asking the fans about their national anthem.
“Does Russia have a national anthem, yes? And does Dagestan have a national anthem? Separate? Play the Russian national anthem please.
“I’ve never heard it. Think of the representation of the people. To the Russian people. The Russian people deserve this match. And they’re going to get it.”
Conor McGregor has announced that he will return to the Octagon on January 18th, 2020 inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The opponent for his fight hasn’t been named yet.
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