UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson faces Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed title in the main event of UFC 223.
Nurmagomedov believes that UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor will get stripped of the gold before the event.
“We’re gonna fight for his belt,” Nurmagomedov told TMZ Sports. “The UFC will strip his belt, and now we’re gonna fight for the real belt.”
McGregor hasn’t defended the title since winning it at UFC 205 and he was also stripped of the UFC Featherweight Title before defending it one time.
The undefeated lightweight star also says he has a contract from the UFC saying that the Irishman is going to be stripped of the title.
“I have a contract, like, real belt. What are they gonna do? They only have one real belt. They have the interim belt, and they have the real belt. They sent me the contract. We’re gonna fight Tony Ferguson for the real belt. They (can) strip McGregor’s belt or not, (but) I have a contract. Real belt,” says Nurmagomedov.
UFC 223 takes place on Saturday, April 7 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York with Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
