Khabib Nurmagomedov Insists Conor McGregor Rematch Is 'Absolutely Not Interesting To Me'

Khabib Nurmagomedov has firmly stated that a rematch with rival Conor McGregor is of no interest to him, claiming that his Irish rival simply doesn't represent a challenge.

The UFC Lightweight Champion, preparing for his defence against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, was asked about a second fight with McGregor by Russian outlet Sport Express and responded: "It's absolutely not interesting to me."

He did acknowledge that, due to the popularity of 'The Notorious', there is always a possibility a fight could be on the cards - but he will not be pushing for it.

"Of course, there is always some degree of probability," he said. "I have a challenger in front of me [Gaethje]. He's respected, strong and active. I don't even think about [McGregor]."

The 31-year-old Nurmagomedov beat McGregor by fourth-round submission in October 2018 at UFC 229, a card which broke records as the company's biggest ever pay-per-view show.

So naturally, despite the one-sided nature of the fight - and the ugly brawl afterwards that led to heavy fines and suspensions for both fighters - a rematch is always going to be of interest. Except for the man who won it, apparently.

"Everything that needed to be done, I did on October 6, 2018," said Nurmagomedov. "And what they say in the media, it does not bother me at all.

"I proved that, as a fighter inside the cage, he could not offer me any resistance."

Of course, McGregor is still officially retired from the UFC at present. However fans have become used to the charismatic 32-year-old changing his mind on that matter regularly - and a chance to avenge his defeat against Khabib, while pocketing a hefty payday, may prove hard to resist.

But clearly Nurmagomedov has nothing on his mind apart from the challenge of Gaethje in October. The American beat Tony Ferguson in a terrific slugfest earlier this year and is now aiming for a second consecutive upset.

If Nurmagomedov wins this, Dana White may test his resistance on just how certain he is about not setting foot inside the Octagon with McGregor again in 2021.

All imagery: PA Images

Topics: Conor Mcgregor, UFC 229, UFC News, MMA News, Fight News, UFC, MMA

Alex Reid

Alex Reid is a writer at SPORTbible who’s previously strung words together for FourFourTwo, Boxing News, The Guardian and, yes, Cruise International (it’s about big ships, not Tom). Interests range from football and boxing to real sports like WWE and darts. He is not a cage fighter.

@otheralexreid