Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father and coach of the UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, shared his opinion about the nearest rival Conor McGregor, noting that from the point of view of the sports component the Irishman does not deserve to fight for the title.
"We must understand that 5 rounds with Khabib is hell for Conor. He has a chance for lucky punch only. Khabib never fell in battle and did not stagger from the blow. I think, within the limit of 70-77 kg. Khabib is able to withstand a serious blow. Physically, tactically, in terms of endurance - we are stronger. At 100% we are stronger than him in the fight, and in grappling we will strangle him when necessary. At the distance, Conor's left hand is very serious. He can land the right uppercut. What else can he offer? Nothing.
“If we took Lobov's neck, then Conor is not the person who will force us to answer. I never considered him a champion. There are other fighters who, from a sporting point of view, deserve a title fight more than he does. Now there is Poirier: he withstands the average and high pace, he can trade punches, he finishes his battles by knockouts – he is the real contender. Ferguson is also an interesting rival when healthy. As for Alvarez, Lee and Pettis - they are somewhere seventh-tenth in the ranking. They can easily be beaten by two of my other fighters.
“What would I advise Conor if I were his coach? Do not agree for a fight. He has no chance," Nurmagomedov Sr. said.
