UFC: Conor McGregor eyes undefeated Russian MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov after Mayweather bout

UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor is currently undergoing boxing preparations for his much-hyped match with undefeated boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr on Aug. 26 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. However, it seems that the Irishman already has a plan afterwards, with reports that he wants to fight Russian fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov next.

Word comes from UFC President Dana White. McGregor reportedly told him that he wanted the undefeated Russian fighter. "'I want Khabib (Nurmagomedov) in Russia,'" White told MMA Junkie.

Win or lose, life will go on for McGregor as he attends to his UFC career. Nurmagomedev holds a perfect 24-0 win-loss MMA record and is 8-0 in the UFC. The Russian is set to face Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight title, though there is no official date on when the fight would be held.

Nurmagomedev had already been booked on three prior occasions. The last one was supposedly set for UFC 209 last March, but it never happened. For that, McGregor threw a subtle jab at Nurmagomedev, calling him a “consistent pullout merchant.” Could this be the proverbial jab to build the match?

The fact that McGregor wants his potential bout with Nurmagomedev held on Russian soil places more pressure on the latter. Pulling out in front of his home crowd could hamper his credibility as far as his mixed martial arts career is concerned. Regardless, Nurmagomedev will have the time to think about it. McGregor is currently busy in the high-profile fantasy match against Mayweather – the outcome of which will be irrelevant, since McGregor is expected to return to normal programming after August.

As far as his boxing buildup is concerned, McGregor has reportedly hired the services of boxer and former mixed martial artist Dashon Johnson to sharpen him up. The 29-year-old Johnson has won 22 of his 46 boxing bouts but is best known for being the sparring partner of Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, according to the Mirror.

The fact that Johnson holds boxing and MMA experience may spell trouble for Mayweather. In the MMA circle, Johnson has won 9 of his 11 MMA matches from 2012 to 2014. It remains to be seen if Johnson can improve the chances of “The Notorious,” seeing that the slated bout will be a boxing match.