Khabib Nurmagomedov captured the UFC Lightweight Title with a unanimous decision ain over Al Iaquinta at UFC 223.
There are plenty of top contenders for the gold, but Nurmagomedov says either former UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier will get the next title shot.
“I don’t have an opponent at this point,” Nurmagomedov said at a Q&A in Moscow. “I don’t know who I’m going to fight. It’s up to [the UFC], whoever they assign. I’ll just fight whoever they give me. There are two opponents. Tony [Ferguson] is out so there’s Conor [McGregor] and if it’s not Conor McGregor then Dustin Poirier. Otherwise, there are no challengers.”
McGregor is still under hot water for attacking a bus full of fighters in an alleged attempt to get at Nurmagomedov before UFC 223, while Poirier is coming off of a fourth round TKO win over Justin Gaethje at UFC On Fox 29.
Nurmagomedov would also like to see the potential title defense come on the MSG card in November.
“I said I would like to have a fight in November. Not before that, not later than that,” Nurmagomedov said. “November if they give me New York.”
Former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson would seem out of the mix for the near future as he is recovering from recent knee surgery.
