Khabib Nurmagomedov Wants To 'Finish' Conor McGregor Rivalry, Predicts Record Pay-Per-View Buys

Khabib Nurmagomedov is ready to finish his “beef” with Conor McGregor following the chaos that occurred last week in the buildup to UFC 223.

Nurmagomedov defeated short-notice opponent Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision Saturday to become the new lightweight champion. However, it did not come easy for “The Eagle” as he had a number of opponent changes to deal with as well as McGregor's now infamous bus attack.

The Irishman came unannounced to the Barclay Center with an entourage Thursday following a UFC 223 media day as he sought out Nurmagomedov for threatening his teammate Artem Lobov.

Chaos ensued as McGregor hurled a dolly at a bus occupied with UFC fighters with Nurmagomedov inside before fleeing the scene. Three fights were canceled as a result, two of them because of injuries sustained from the 29-year-old's attack, before McGregor later surrendered himself to the police.

The incident only further adds to the heated rivalry between Nurmagomedov and McGregor with many in the combat world now itching to see a dream grudge match between the duo. Nurmagomedov is definitely interested and believes a contest between the pair would break the current 1.6 million pay-per-view buy record for a UFC fight.

“Conor [McGregor] is very big name,” Nurmagomedov said, as per Flo Combat. “It's going to be big pay-per-[view] show, like two, three million pay-per-view buy[s]. Why not if Georges St-Pierre don't come [to] 155?”

“We have to finish these things, this beef—maybe chicken. Let's talk about chicken. He have to stop eat[ing] Burger Kings and come back here. Too much Burger Kings. You want to fight with me? Come here. I'm here. My last three month[s], I fight twice. I fight this (Edson) Barboza. I fight this Iaquinta. Iaquinta is tough kid. Barboza is tough kid. I'm here. Now, UFC have only one champion, real, undisputed, and undefeated. Let's go.”

A dream location for the fight is Nurmagomedov's home country of Russia where the UFC is planning a debut show, with McGregor previously claiming last year he would love to face the Dagestan native there.

Despite his wish to fight St-Pierre in Madison Square Garden in November, the idea of fighting in his home country is one he cannot ignore as long as it is on pay-per-view and not free television.

“One hundred percent, if UFC come to Russia, and they make pay-per-[view] show, I want to fight there. Why not?” Nurmagomedov explained. “I have belt. If UFC ask me, 'Hey, let's go. You have to fight in September,' because Ramadan is finished June 15. I have two weeks [in] June, July, August, and two weeks [in] September. I have time. I have almost 100 day[s] after Ramadan. Of course, I am going to take this.”

“If UFC going to make, like, UFC Fight Night or something like this in Russia, of course UFC never put me there because they want to put me in big pay-per-[view] show.”