Russian Dynamo Khabib Nurmagamedov Has Announced When He Intends to Return to the Octagon… And it’s Sooner Than You Might Expect…
Exciting times ladies and gentlemen, Khabib Nurmagamedov is on the comeback trail. He had said that he wouldn’t be returning to action until November or December this year. However, he looks to be moving his next fight forward to either September or October.
The new lightweight champion of the world replaced Conor McGregor when he defeated Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, New York, last April. His dominant decision victory was the culmination of the most ludicrous week in MMA history. Iaquinta was Khabib’s fifth potential opponent after Tony Ferguson got injured, while Conor McGregor got arrested.
One of the most effective wrestlers in the sport, Nurmagamedov hails from Dagestan, Russia. He’s famous for wearing a Cossack-style hat to weigh-ins and during his post-fight interviews. With a remarkable 26-0 record, it’s no wonder the UFC wants him to be their champion.
Return
The Dagestani fighter spoke to fans during a live chat earlier this week. He signaled his desire to come back earlier than he previously said. A devout Muslim, right now he’s taking part in Ramadan. He said:
“I don’t know when it’s going to be but now we talk about this with the UFC,” Nurmagomedov said. “It’s going to be maybe 9 September or maybe 6 October. I don’t know about the opponent – Conor, GSP, whoever. It doesn’t matter, we’ll see. Next couple of weeks it’s going to be very fun because now we’re beginning to talk about my next fight with the UFC.”
There you have it, folks. Straight from Khabib’s own mouth. And with the summer rolling on, it really won’t be long before we see him back in the octagon. The next big question is, of course, who against?
September
If you want to put money on it, go for September. UFC 229 is booked for October 6th in Las Vegas. UFC 228 isn’t even booked yet, but September 9 would make sense, because a week later the UFC make their debut at UFC Moscow, on Sept. 15.
Conor McGregor is without a doubt the most obvious opponent for Khabib to face. However, the Irishman is facing a whole load of legal trouble, and until June it will be unclear whether or not he’ll ever be allowed in America again, never mind fighting for the UFC.
Georges St. Pierre and Tony Ferguson are two other big names being linked. However, that’s a massive weight-cut for the Canadian, while ‘El Cucuy’ is recovering from a stupid injury suffered at a UFC press event. Don’t be surprised if Nurmagamedov ends up defending against the winner of Eddie Alvarez vs Dustin Poirier II.
Holy Month
Unfortunately, he can’t make his comeback any sooner, because he’s observing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends on June 16th. This means he has to fast and abstain from food and water during daylight hours.
“I feel great, I feel good,” Nurmagomedov said. “Now we have Ramadan. We’re training only at night. Feeling good, feeling great, my weight is good, my shape is good. I always train every day, sometimes two times.”
His weight issues seem to be a problem of the past now that he actually has a nutritionist. Why don’t all MMA fighters get one? Nurmagamedov must know that he’s on the verge of superstardom.
