Dana White Responds to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Reported Plans to Sit Out Until November

It’s been reported Khabib Nurmagomedov intends to sit out until November, and if that happens, it looks like an interim lightweight champ could be crowned…yes, again.

Nurmagomedov is currently suspended until July due to the post-fight brawl he started at UFC 229. But, it’s also been reported that the champ will not fight until the year-long suspension of his teammates, Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov, is up. The two were also involved in the ugly incident last October. Nurmagomedov has reportedly expressed an interest in returning to the cage this November,

Well, following UFC 234 this past weekend, Dana White was asked to comment on the situation, and the UFC President said this (quote via MMA Mania):

“Guys can’t sit out and wait that long if they have the title, you can’t do it. So if that’s true and he is going to do that, then we have to figure out something else,” said White.

“You start looking at whether it’s Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson, or one of these other guys. Whoever wants to…when opportunity knocks, answer the door. So we will see how this thing plays out. That’s the criteria.”

So, we’ll see what happens, but it looks like the UFC’s lightweight title picture is getting stalled out again.