Nurmagomedov: McGregor’s Title Shot Goes “Bye-Bye” if he Fights at 170

Khabib Nurmagomedov has repeatedly said Conor McGregor needs to score some pivotal wins, before he’ll even consider granting his rival a rematch. Well, according to Khabib, if McGregor does defeat Dustin Poirier for a second time, he needs to do so at lightweight… if he hopes to face him again.

Nurmagomedov says title shot goes “bye-bye” if fights at 170

Ever since Khabib tapped McGregor out in 2018, he has repeatedly said that the Irish star has some work to do, if he wants a title shot. At one point, Khabib argued Conor needs to record multiple wins in order to receive another shot at the lightweight crown.

In more recent months, however, Nurmagomedov has said that if McGregor returns and beats Poirier, that could open the door to a rematch. 

More recently, both McGregor and Poirier have said they’re willing to fight on January 23rd, as the UFC hopes. In addition, McGregor’s longtime coach, John Kavanagh, recently tweeted out that the rematch will be contested at welterweight, and not 155 pounds.

So, this is likely why during a recent talk with Mike Swick, Khabib said this about a rematch with McGregor (quotes via MMA Fighting).

“If he beats [Poirier] at 155 [pounds], it makes sense, but if they fight at 170, how can you fight at 170 and next fight you can fight at 155?

They want to make everything easy,” Nurmagomedov said. “It you want to take the easy way, you never deserve the next title shot.”

“Remember, before I fought him, I told him, ‘I’m going to make you humble, and I’m going to put you in line,’” Nurmagomedov said.

Now, after two years, people understand my word. I’m going to put him in line, and I’m going to make the decision. If he fights 170, bye-bye.”

Understandable?

Now, sure, McGregor boosters will probably argue that Khabib’s just looking for excuses, in terms of reasons to not rematch Conor (despite the fact Khabib’s already finished him and has little to gain, aside from a big check).

But, really, you can understand why Khabib’s saying this. So far, McGregor has fought just once since he lost to Khabib, and that was to Donald Cerrone in a welterweight fight.

A win over Poirier would be an impressive one, given ‘The Diamond’s’ abilities and ranking. But, if it also takes place at 170 pounds, this would mean Conor hasn’t fought in the weight class since 2018.

Meanwhile, other contenders like Justin Gaethje, Tony Ferguson and Michael Chandler have been cutting weight, and fighting at 155.

So it will be interesting to see what happens here, and if Khabib’s comments impact what weight McGregor – Poirier 2 happens at.

When the two fought for the first time, when McGregor stopped Poirier in the first round, the fight was at featherweight.