“I haven’t talked to Khabib [Nurmagomedov] but we’ll get it figured out,” UFC President Dana White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto following the UFC 234 pre-fight press conference. “I don’t know what he wants or what he’s looking for right now. We haven’t even tried. But we’ll get it figured out.
“Yeah, it probably would [make an interim title necessary if Khabib sits out nine-months for his teammates]. It probably would. Yeah. We’ll see how it plays out. I haven’t heard Khabib say any of that. He hasn’t said to me. So when I hear these things that come back from reporters, or fans, or whatever, ‘Oh, I heard this and that,’ … I haven’t heard that.
“He hasn’t said that to me, so we’ll deal with it when we deal with it.”
For the current reigning undefeated UFC lightweight champion of the world, Khabib Nurmagomedov, he won’t be eligible to return to action until April at the earliest following his suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
However, due to his teammates Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov’s suspensions, he has said he isn’t willing to return until they’re suspensions are up as well. Meaning he could go a whole year without fighting as he is eying a fight in November at Madison Square Garden next, according to his manager.
Because of that, it would create a hole at the top of the 155-pound division that would seemingly get filled with yet another interim title.
Whether or not that will actually happen remains to be seen, but if one thing is for sure, the two most likely candidates to fight over the title would be the red-hot Dustin ‘The Diamond’ Poirier and the former interim champ Tony Ferguson.
Regardless, it all comes down to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 2/8/2019
Acclaimed director Zack Snyder is working with the UFC and Turki Alalshikh.
The Saudi advisor’s journey into combat sports has changed a lot in the combat sports world. Over the last few years, Turki Alalshikh has worked to create long-awaited bouts such as Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, and Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev. Earlier this month, he announced plans to form a boxing league with UFC CEO Dana White.
The godfather of MMA officiating, “Big” John McCarthy, has some advice for a veteran referee who has taken some heat.
Mike Beltran has become a familiar face to combat sports fans. He has officiated some marquee fights in the world of MMA. Beltran was on duty for the UFC Mexico City Fight Night card this past Saturday. He officiated the Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober bout, which ended in a first-round TKO finish for Torres.
One former UFC fighter has decided to hang up his gloves.
MMA fans have seen a bevy of athletes retire as of late. The likes of Molly McCann, Antonina Shevchenko, and Jalin Turner have made the decision to leave pro MMA competition within the span of a few weeks. McCann admitted that her performances simply weren’t good enough in a sport that continues getting young, while Turner said the lifestyle of being a fighter is taking its toll. Shevchenko hadn’t fought since a 2022 win over Cortney Casey and has left the sport to fulfill her piloting duties.
UFC fans have called the promotion into question after Jack Della Maddalena’s recent UFC 315 revelation.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is obviously very successful. They’ve achieved some great things as an organization over the course of the last few decades, and they’ll likely continue to do so. However, there are certainly things that the UFC could improve on, and that goes without saying.
UFC newcomer Patricio Pitbull has revealed the plan that he hopes will fast-track him to a world title opportunity.
At UFC 314, we look set to finally see the debut of Patricio Pitbull in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. While he may be at an advanced point in his career, we’re talking about one of the all-time best. As was the case with Michael Chandler, Patricio has spent years building a name for himself outside of the promotion – most notably in Bellator.
An early review regarding The Rock’s Smashing Machine movie, based on the life of Mark Kerr, has led to a few raised eyebrows.
The Rock is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood and we all know that to be true. From his days in professional wrestling to his transition over to the movies, he is a bonafide megastar. Over the years, though, some have questioned the quality of some of the movies that he’s made. Others are just interested in seeing him take part in really fun projects.
Former UFC champ Conor McGregor is hoping to run for the Irish presidency. It’s safe to say that many of the country’s current politicians are not on board with his plan.
McGregor announced his plans to run for public office following a trip to visit United States president Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. However, it quickly became clear that the UFC star might have difficulty even putting himself in the running for the job.
Manuel Torres has responded to those who criticized referee Mike Beltran during UFC Mexico City.
Torres had a stellar showing this past Saturday, defeating seasoned veteran Drew Dober in the opening frame via TKO. Torres delivered a series of hard punches to the head of his opponent. Beltran stopped the fight, but some believe he was too late in calling a halt to the bout.
