Khabib Nurmagomedov is not backing down.
It's an interesting period for the UFC lightweight champion. Last month, he was handed a lengthy nine-month suspension for instigating the brawl at UFC 229 after he defeated Conor McGregor. The ban was retroactive to October and could be reduced by three months if he participated in an anti-bullying video.
However, Nurmagomedov announced not only was he not doing the video but he also would not fight again until the one-year ban that was handed to his team-mates, Zubaira Tukhugov and Abubakar Nurmagomedov, was over.
This prompted Dana White to issue a public warning: "Guys can’t sit out and wait that long when you have the title,” White said. “You can’t do it. So if that’s true and he’s going to do that, then we’d have to figure out something else and you start looking at whether it’s Conor McGregor-Tony Ferguson or one of these other guys."
On Friday, Khabib went after White on Twitter.
Great announcement by @danawhite
Dana, when you will get fired from UFC, I think you’ll have great job on television— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) March 1, 2019
White is occupied by Sunday's UFC 235, which sees a blockbuster light heavyweight bout between Jon Jones and Anthony Smith. When it comes to Khabib's next bout, it appears there it will require some frank discussions between the pair.
