UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is still holding out hopes for a showdown against Georges St-Pierre before he retires.
On Wednesday, news surfaced that St-Pierre had called a press conference scheduled for Thursday in his native Montreal where he plans to announce his retirement from the sport.
St-Pierre had reportedly been attempting to put together a fight against Nurmagomedov but when those negotiations failed, the legendary former two-division UFC champion decided to call it a career.
After hearing that news, Nurmagomedov quickly took time to make one last plea for a fight against St-Pierre in hopes of pushing back his retirement until later this year.
“Let’s do it in November,” Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram. “After this fight you can retire. I grow up on your fights, and have nothing but respect for you, and I believe showed that to you George when you were in Moscow.
“But, it would be honor for me to share Octagon with one of the greatest fighters of all time. Let’s do it 155 pounds, or I give away five pounds to you, cause you [never] done 155. Well, it’s your choice 155 or 160, Montreal, NYC, Moscow or Abu Dhabi. Send me location my Friend.”
Nurmagomedov has long considered St-Pierre one of his most sought after opponents and he has asked for the fight several times before and after becoming lightweight champion.
In recent months, Nurmagomedov named St-Pierre as a fighter he hoped to face before he retired from the sport as well but it appears his hopes may be dwindling with this pending announcement set for Thursday.
Nurmagomedov asking for the fight in November also confirms his previous plans to sit out for the majority of 2019 after the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended two of his teammates for 12 months after getting involved in his post fight brawl at UFC 229 last October.
Nurmagomedov received a nine month suspension but ultimately said he would sit out the full year in solidarity with his teammates who were also suspended.
If he doesn’t get the St-Pierre fight as expected, Nurmagomedov will then have to turn his attention back to the UFC lightweight division where a list of contenders have been lining up to face him since last defending his title against Conor McGregor.
