The UFC is targeting a showdown between Dustin
Poirier and Conor
McGregor for Jan. 23, though there is much to be decided before
the bout is finalized.
That includes the weight at which the fight will be contested. When
Poirier and McGregor first met at UFC 178 in 2014, the matchup took
place at featherweight. Both men have since moved up to 155 pounds,
but McGregor has also taken multiple bouts at welterweight,
including his last Octagon appearance — a 40-second TKO of Donald
Cerrone at UFC 246.
However, Khabib
Nurmagomedov says if either Poirier or McGregor wants their
matchup to yield a No. 1 contender at 155 pounds, then they must
fight at that weight.
“I still feel this but you have to fight at 155,” Nurmagomedov told
TSN. “If
they fight at 170 or 185, this is not lightweight contender fight.
If you want to fight at lightweight contender for the belt you have
to fight at lightweight. What is this, like? ‘OK, I’m champion at
155. OK, give me a fight at 170. OK, let’s make weight with
Justin
Gaethje at 170.’ Same thing. If you want to fight for the title
at 155, you have to make 155.”
McGregor’s coach, John
Kavanagh, recently hinted that the bout would take place at 170
pounds in a post on
Twitter.
Watching [Conor McGregor] do MMA rounds lately has been a real joy
and education,” Kavanagh wrote. “Fluidity of movement with elite
level timing and skill. Dustin has improved so much since first
meeting, Conor has improved much more imo. To see them hydrated &
healthy at 170 will be fascinating.”
Nurmagomedov, who defeated Poirier via third-round submission at
UFC 242, criticized “The Diamond” for potentially allowing McGregor
and his team to dictate the terms of their bout.
“I don’t understand why Dustin show his weakness,” Nurmagomedov
said. “This is just my opinion. You have to say something. Hey,
this is my opinion. He has to do something to it. OK, they ask him
to fight. Conor say ‘I’m going to donate you money.’ He said, ‘Yes,
yes, yes, anywhere,’ but Dustin is a lightweight fighter. He’s not
a welterweight fighter. Why are you going to fight at 170? If you
want to fight for the title next, you have to make 155 [and] fight
in the lightweight division. This is just my opinion. We’ll see.
We’ll see.”
Nurmagomedov will defend his lightweight belt against interim king
Justin
Gaethje in the UFC 254 headliner on Saturday. The main card
airs on pay-per-view via ESPN+ beginning at 2 p.m. ET/noon PT.