Khabib: McGregor’s MMA Career Is Over, UFC Stripping His Lightweight Title

If you ask Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor’s UFC career is over and it’s only a matter of time before his Lightweight championship reign is terminated.

UFC’s #1 ranked Lightweight is preparing for his upcoming championship fight against interim title holder Tony Ferguson. That fight will headline UFC 223 on Saturday night, April 7th from Brooklyn, NY. The cloud looming over both of them is reigning division champion Conor McGregor, who hasn’t fought in the Octagon since November 2016.

  • Conor McGregor Negotiating to Fight Twice For UFC In 2018

Khabib spoke with TMZ this week outside of Jay Glazer’s MMA gym in Hollywood California. When asked about the prospect of facing Conor McGregor in Russia (should he win at 223), Khabib said that’s unlikely to happen.

“I don’t think he gonna come back.” he said. “When’s the last time Conor compete in MMA? Long time. He’s boxing guy.”

Khabib referenced his UFC 223 fight contract as another tell-tale sign about McGregor’s UFC future. McGregor can claim to be the Lightweight champion, but he hasn’t fought in 15 months and the division has moved on. Khabib says he signed to fight for the “real belt” – an indication that UFC is “100%” stripping Conor of the gold.

Dana White has yet to formally address the status of McGregor’s championship. As seen below, the UFC 223 poster released earlier this month bills the Ferguson vs. Khabib main event as a World Lightweight Championship bout — with no mention of the word interim.

Related News

Top Stories

UFC Store

UFC 312: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2 Results & Highlights (6PM ET) 

UFC 312 takes place tonight from the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia and MMA...

Michael Bisping Explains Why Ilia Topuria’s Chances Are High To Beat Islam Makhachev

Michael Bisping is intrigued by a potential showdown between UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria...

Former UFC Fighter Suggests Sean Strickland’s ‘Constant Sparring’ Is Hurting Him

Sean Strickland is known for his intense and sometimes unorthodox approach to sparring —...

Daniel Cormier: Jon Jones Is DQ’d From GOAT Talk Due To His ‘Dirty Sh*t’ History

The rivalry between Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones is one of the most intense...

Dustin Poirier Provides Update On UFC’s Plans For His Retirement Fight

Dustin Poirier is hoping to end his MMA career with a final fight in...

Dana White Shares What Gets People UFC Contracts, & It’s Not ‘A Personality Like Conor & Ronda…’

UFC is the biggest MMA promotion in the world, by far. Because most competitor...

‘Coolest Thing Ever’ – Dricus Du Plessis Reveals Fighter Who Got Him Into Fighting Instead Of Rugby

UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis has had a long and amusing path to...

Debuting Aleksandre Topuria ‘Not His Brother’, Says UFC 312 Opponent

Colby Thicknesse is vowing to show the difference in ability between Ilia Topuria and...

Dana White Reacts To Dricus Du Plessis Admitting He’s Prepared To Kill A Man In Front Of His Family

Dana White recently reviewed the bone-chilling mentality of Dricus Du Plessis that spread like...