Undefeated UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Irish superstar Conor McGregor remain suspended indefinitely as the Nevada State Athletic Commission continues their investigation into the post-fight melee at UFC 229. To date, Khabib has only received half of his $2 million purse from that fight but his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, is already eyeing their next big payday.
TMZ Sports recently caught up with Abdelaziz, who explained that Khabib wants something in the $50M-$100M range the next time he steps into the octagon.
“Ben Askren, Woodley, none of these guys can touch Khabib,” Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports. “Especially if they’re scared to get tired and these guys, they get tired. Now, I’m not even worried about Tyron or Ben Askren, I’m worrying about somebody bringing $50M to $100M to the table and none of these guys can bring $200,000 to the table.”
“Listen, the guy we just fought said he made $50M,” Abdelaziz said. “I think, as a global superstar, Khabib bypass him. You have a guy meeting with Putin and Erdoğan and the other guy selling liquor on the corner store. It’s not even in the f**king same planet. Good for him. Whatever. It’s none of our business, he do what he does. We try to go to Africa, we try to do different things. It’s not even close.
“At the end of the day, maybe a whole bunch of money gets on the table, maybe the rematch. I don’t know. Maybe we’ll give a rematch to the guy we just killed. . . Whatever’s gonna bring Khabib money. This is now my job. It’s not Khabib’s job. Khabib created legacy, 11 years, 27 fights. Right now, money talks, bullshit walks. That’s it.”
Check out Abdelaziz's full comments in the video embedded below.