Now that UFC 223 is in the books, Khabib Nurmagomedov is the man with the biggest target on his back after coming through an extremely chaotic week with the UFC lightweight championship around his waist.
He went from preparing for Tony Ferguson to Max Holloway and then Al Iaquinta in a matter of days, not to mention that the day before fight night, both Paul Felder and Anthony Pettis surfaced as potential opponents before Ragin’ Al was given the nod to try and etch the first defeat on The Eagle’s unbeaten record.
NEW CHAMPION
That was easier said than done. Despite taking a couple of big hits during the fight, it was a one-sided win for the unbeaten, bear-grappling Dagestani who received a king’s welcome on his return to Russia after leaving Brooklyn as the new king of the 155-pound division.
Obviously, most of the chaos was revolving around Conor McGregor after the Irishman flew his entourage from Dublin to New York to square off with Khabib. Instead, he threw a dolly at a UFC bus, smashing a window and taking both Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg out of their respective UFC 223 fights.
With his legal situation ongoing, nobody can deny that it has made their story perfect for potentially the biggest fight in UFC history. The unbeaten Nurmagomedov against someone who many think his left hand could cause him problems. The new lightweight champion against the man who never lost his championship - and it’s Russia vs. Ireland. It doesn’t get bigger than that.
Sadly, for the fans that want to see this fight, you might be waiting for a while if a tweet from Khabib’s manager is anything to go by.
Ali Abdelaziz has guided Nurmagomedov to the top in the UFC and has revealed the three names his client could fight next, with the Notorious second on that list. Although being second in line doesn’t seem like a bad thing, you have to take into account that Nurmagomedov is first going to take time off for Ramadan, before looking to step into the Octagon again.
THREE-MAN HITLIST
Abdelaziz stated on Twitter that it's Georges St-Pierre first, McGregor second and then Dustin Poirier third, and if you’re not on that list, then you’re out of luck.
He tweeted: “GSP, Conor, Dustin...everyone else talking can take a hike #newkingofthejungle.”
The Diamond probably does deserve the next opportunity after defeating Justin Gaethje in an epic contest over the weekend, while Eddie Alvarez didn’t seem to be a fan of the three-man list when responding to Abdelaziz on Twitter.
However, we know how important the money and super fights are in the UFC as we have entered this entertainment era, so luring GSP back into the Octagon along with a mega-money grudge fight against McGregor will be the priorities.
What do you make of the three-man hitlist Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team are targeting? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.