In this modern era of MMA, more and more of the sport’s elite fighters are seeking super fights and money fights to enhance both their bank account and their legacy in the sport. One man has stood alone as the most desired fight in all of MMA due to the “red panty night” that would await, that of course being Conor McGregor. But during a media lunch on Monday, UFC 231 featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega expressed an interest in fighting a lightweight in a superfight, but his name was not Conor McGregor, but the reigning lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (Transcript via MMA Fighting):
“You look at some of these guys who make superfights,” Ortega told reporters in Los Angeles on Monday at a UFC 231 media event. “And you’re like, damn, I wish I was a part of that fight. I like superfights. I want superfights. I want guys that I can match up well where people don’t know what going to happen.”
“Every grappler, we have this since even before I was training, this whole wrestler vs. jiu-jitsu,” Ortega said. “We get along in the gym and we’re always like, you know, this is a matchup. Our hands are both good. He’s a top game guy and a wrestler and I’m a bottom game guy and a jiu-jitsu guy.”
This is not the first time that Brian Ortega has expressed an interest in fighting Khabib. He also was willing to step up as a last-minute replacement for Tony Ferguson at UFC 223, but the bout was unable to be made. But after Khabib’s dominant performance over Conor McGregor at UFC 229, Ortega’s interest in fighting Khabib is higher than ever:
“I was watching a lot of things in that fight, where, if I was in that position, there’s a lot of things I’d be doing differently,” Ortega said. “And that kind of just made me realize, kind of just, what I want is a superfight, if I ever get there, and it’s within reach. If I play my cards right, it’s within reach.
“I’ve got these ideas I want to go for, if I’m successful hopefully I can start asking Dana White for them,” said Ortega.
Who do you believe would win a superfight between Brian Ortega and Khabib Nurmagomedov?
