Twelve weeks out from UFC 242, where Khabib Nurmagomedov will face Dustin Poirier to unify the UFC lightweight title, the pair have started promoting the fight. Earlier this week, they faced off for the first time at a press conference in London.

Khabib has also given a couple of interviews this week, in which the current UFC lightweight champion said that he would finish Tony Ferguson and reiterated his previous stance, that he will never fight in Las Vegas ever again.

When asked about last week’s Tony Ferguson vs ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone fight at UFC 238 by ESPN, Khabib also described ‘Cowboy’ as mentally weak.

“It was an interesting fight, but anyways, it was standup fight. This is not my style, I maul my opponents. I take them down, smother them and make them tired. My style is much different than ‘Cowboy.’

“Even if we talk about boxing, ‘Cowboy’ is a very good kicker but he is not a great boxer. He is not a good top boxer, you know? He have not a bad jab, but when someone pressures him he stop. Mentally he is not strong.”

Khabib agreed that Ferguson 100% deserves a shot at his title but said that he sticks to his game plan, he will finish the former UFC interim lightweight champion.

“That’s why I win this fight, maybe Tony think I am going to risk or I am going to striking with him, like all of his opponents, no way. He is very skinny on his body and I am going to take him, catch him and in a couple of minutes make him tired and finish him. I am completely different fighter than all his opponents.”

But while he is prepared to face Ferguson, he’s not prepared to face him in Las Vegas. Or fight anyone else there for that matter. Although he got the win over Conor McGregor at UFC 229, the 30 year old was suspended for nine months and fined $500,000, for his part in the post-fight brawl with Team McGregor. His teammates Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov were both suspended for twelve months.

And although Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov both had their suspensions reduced by 35 days by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Khabib has no plans on going back to fight. As he told BT Sport.

“Everybody saw what happened in Vegas. Victory in my sight, we smashed him, smashed all his team.

“I don’t want to fight in Vegas anymore. They take his money and they take my money ten more times. It is not about money, it is about how the whole process is going. I don’t want to fight in Vegas. If some great fight happens in Vegas, I’m going to go and just watch but I don’t want to fight anymore in Vegas.”

Does Khabib maul Ferguson? Is ‘Cowboy’ mentally weak? Do you blame Khabib for not wanting to fight in Las Vegas again?