Khabib Nurmagomedov has informed Conor McGregor he will be fighting for the lightweight belt as he faces Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 in January.
Khabib retired from mixed martial arts in October after an emphatic victory over Justin Gaethje, with a 100 per cent professional record from his 29 bouts.
The Russian fighter hung up his gloves as champion, having defended the lightweight championship against Irish superstar McGregor in 2018 and American Poirier in 2019.
Khabib is still recognised as the UFC's lightweight champion but suggested the belt is no longer his and will be up for grabs as Poirier duels McGregor, in a rematch of the 2014 bout won by the latter. “Top three [lightweight] fighters right now?” Nurmagomedov told Match TV, via
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