Khabib Nurmagomedov secured a highly impressive finish at UFC 205, submitting Michael Johnson to extend his unbeaten streak to 24 fights. The Dagestani fighter, who previously received a contract to face Eddie Alvarez, was so confident on winning his bout that he was actually talking to Dana White during the contest.
“I talked with (Dana White) and said, ‘Hey, don’t send me no more your fake contract. I need real contract!’ He talked about ‘yes, you have to finish this fight.’ I said, ‘you know that I only deserve this. After this fight I want real contract.’ He said, ‘okay, finish this’.”
“After, I finished the fight I (told him) ‘I’m waiting for (bout) agreements’,” he said. “Maybe Brooklyn, why not 209, 210 in Las Vegas? Anywhere, it doesn’t matter. Russia, Ireland, I can fight in his backyard.”
Khabib also said that he was also speaking to his opponent in the middle of the bout, telling him ‘I have to fight for the title, you know this. I don’t want to smash your face. I already beat you. You have to give up’.
Johnson kept fighting, but Khabib managed to secure the kimura shortly after. He said he even warned him to tap, saying ‘be careful’ as it may break.
For his part, Dana White confirmed the dialog he had with Nurmagomedov.
“I was yelling at him, ‘finish this fight first!’” White said with a laugh. “Every round, he was screaming at me. I get it. Understood. He wants a title shot, I get it. We’ll figure it out.”
White refused to commit to saying the 24-0 fighter will indeed receive the title shot. With other lightweight contenders such as Tony Ferguson looming, White says it’s “a good problem to have”.
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