It’s probably a safe bet that most people sliding into Conor McGregor’s Twitter DMs aren’t sending him messages like these. From the looks of things, the recently crowned UFC lightweight -and reigning featherweight- champion may have woke up to a not-quite-encouraging message from top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov this last Sunday morning.
Khabib, who bested Michael Johnson on the UFC 205 prelims, posted a picture of the DM he apparently sent McGregor on Twitter, here’s how it read:
“Conor you the Champion now you need to fight with me. If you run every time you look in the mirror you not going to respect yourself, your kids not going to respect you, your friends, your family won’t respect you. Die like a Samurai don’t chicken out please. I know I’m bad matchup for you but you the champion and you need to fight the best. It’s ok. Die like Irish warrior don’t run like chicken. Irish people have history and fight for long time you need to represent your people with honor.”
I am old school and try to do this man to man but the he don’t want anything to do with a real man. Time to move on @danawhite@seanshelbypic.twitter.com/ilAL4yM6O7
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) November 23, 2016
As Khabib stated in the more public part of the message, it sounds like he’s ready to move on if McGregor isn’t willing to fight him in the near future. His father and coach Abdulmanap recently stated that Khabib would be willing to fight Tony Ferguson for an interim lightweight title belt, if McGregor fight couldn’t get made in the next few months.
With reports suggesting that McGregor may be in for an extended hiatus until late next spring, it may be we’ll be seeing Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson sooner rather than later.
