Boxing legend Mike Tyson has advised Khabib Nurmagomedov to give Conor McGregor a rematch – because there is no way he will lose.
McGregor was chocked out by his Russian rival in their clash last year and has been pushing for a second shot as he prepares for a return.
A potential rematch – tipped to take place in Moscow – looks most likely to take place in late 2020, with McGregor reportedly set to fight Donald Cerrone in early 2020 with Khabib taking on Tony Ferguson.
Whilst Khabib and his camp have distanced themselves from a second fight with the Irish superstar, boxing great Tyson has advised him to reconsider as he has little to fear.
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Tyson said: “Khabib beat him [McGregor], right? But they still want the fight! People still want to see him fight Khabib.
“He’s not going to beat Khabib. He’s gonna never beat Khabib. But people are still going to pay to see him fight Khabib.
“Khabib is going to get more money beating this guy that he knows he can beat, than he would ever get in a competitive fight against a guy that’s capable of beating him.
“So, why not fight him 10 times? People will pay to see him fight 10 times, to see him lose 10 times. Now that’s marketing, millions, billions. He’s a genius, you can’t take that away.”
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Whilst McGregor has called out Khabib several times, the Russian this week cast doubt on whether he really wants the rematch.
Asked about a rematch during a Q&A, a dismissive Nurmagomedov said: “Honestly I don’t think he wants that fight,” he said. “How is that so? I beat him up for four rounds. I beat him and choked him and he tapped. It was a sign he didn’t want to be there, ‘let me go please’ and all that. And now he wants the rematch.
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“First of all he has to earn it. We’re in the fourth year since his last victory. It’s been three years and now we’re in the fourth. In order to fight for the title I had to win 10 fights in a row in the UFC.
“That’s not counting the 16 victories I had outside the UFC. In every fight I earned it not with my mouth but with my actions. That’s where we’re different – he talks about it, I just do it.
“It’s nice for me, because even when I keep quiet and even when I don’t say anything people can weigh it up for themselves. ‘Hang on, this guy talks and this guy just acts’.
“Just talking is one thing, but when it comes to doing it, he’s completely different. So for me there are no kind of announcements or insults. He’s an idiot. We don’t pay attention to idiots.”
