- Khabib Nurmagomedov, who beat Dustin Poirier by submission on Saturday, said he wanted to host an $80 million charity fight in Africa to help raise money for people who “cannot get even proper drinking water,” according to Gulf News.
- Dana White, the UFC president, has not commented on Nurmagomedov’s proposition but has laid out some potential next opponents for him, one of whom is Conor McGregor.
- “Conor McGregor wants that fight really badly, and I’m sure the fans would want to see it,” White told reporters on Saturday. “So we’ll see how this whole thing plays out.”
- Nurmagomedov beat McGregor at UFC 229 in October before jumping out of the cage to attack the Irishman’s friend Dillon Danis.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to host a $50 million charity fight in Africa, and it could be a rematch with Conor McGregor.
Nurmagomedov beat Dustin Poirier on Saturday to retain his light heavyweight title and take his professional record to 28-0.
After the victory, the Russian fighter told reporters that he wanted to make his next fight a charity event in Africa to help raise money for people who “cannot get even proper drinking water” though he acknowledged he would need the UFC’s backing to make it happen.
“If we can raise $50 million, or even $40 million or $30 million, then this money can be used for charity in these countries,” Nurmagomedov said, according to Gulf News.
"We are famous, and we have a lot of money, but we need to stay focused and humble," he added.
UFC President Dana White has indicated his intent take UFC to Africa (though not for charity), and while he hasn't commented on Nurmagomedov's proposition, he has laid out some potential next opponents for the 30-year-old, one of whom is Conor McGregor.
"Tony Ferguson is next in line for the fight, if he accepts the fight," White told reporters at a press conference on Saturday. "We'll see how this thing plays out, when Khabib will fight again, and if Tony wants to fight."
He added later: "Tony Ferguson gets the next shot, and obviously, if for whatever reason Tony can't take the fight or doesn't want to fight at that time, then we would figure out what's next.
"But yeah, Conor would make a lot of sense. Conor McGregor wants that fight really badly, and I'm sure the fans would want to see it. So we'll see how this whole thing plays out."
Nurmagomedov beat McGregor by submission at UFC 229 in October after months of chaotic buildup, including the Irishman attacking a bus carrying Nurmagomedov in New York and calling him a "Dagestani rat."
After the fight, Nurmagomedov jumped the cage to launch an attack on McGregor's cageside friend Dillon Danis, for which Nurmagomedov was fined $500,000 by the UFC.
McGregor and Nurmagomedov have continued their rivalry outside the cage, with Nurmagomedov recently saying he'd fight McGregor in the street because he's not afraid of going to jail.
Following Nurmagomedov's victory over Poirier, McGregor called for a rematch with the Russian, tweeting: "Book my rematch for Moscow."
However, Nurmagomedov has said the Irishman must win another fight before facing him again.
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