Khabib Nurmagomedov open to reconciling with Conor McGregor after UFC brawl: ‘Everything is possible’
The UFC lightweight king said relations with the Irishman could thaw and reiterated he would like to fight Floyd Mayweather
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Your support makes all the difference.UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed on Monday that he can imagine a reconciliation with Conor McGregor after the bitter feud that marred last month's title fight.
The two fighters traded verbal blows before the October 6 fight and Nurmagomedov sparked a brawl with McGregor's team after winning by submission.
Both men are waiting on a December 10 hearing with the Nevada State Athletic Commission to find out if their actions will result in any further sanctions, but Nurmagomedov insisted there is no reason why he and McGregor have to remain bitter enemies.
"Everything is possible. Just as McGregor and I feuded, so we could reconcile," Nurmagomedov said.
He added he doesn't know how he will react when he sees the Irish fighter next, saying, "who are we not to forgive one another when the Almighty forgives us?"
Nurmagomedov said he would prefer a fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. — without giving details of how it might be arranged — over the UFC's preferred option of Tony Ferguson.
"For legacy and in the sense of the money aspect, and in a sporting sense, I think the Mayweather fight is much more interesting," Nurmagomedov said, though any negotiations are on hold until after the hearing regarding the aftermath of the McGregor fight.
"The athletics commission needs to finish up first and then we'll talk."
A devout Muslim, Nurmagomedov has increasingly become an influential conservative voice in Russia, criticising aspects of nightlife in his home region of Dagestan. Numerous Russian athletes have moved into politics after retiring, including heavyweight boxer Nikolai Valuev, now a member of parliament, but Nurmagomedov said he has no plans to join them.
"I try to stay away from all that," he said. "The main thing is to have the desire to help people and you don't have to be a member of parliament to do that."
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