UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has named a heavyweight showdown between Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelianenko in Russia as his ultimate fantasy match-up.
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Nurmagomedov, 32, boasts a perfect professional MMA record after winning all 29 of his fights.
After claiming lightweight gold in 2018, the pound-for-pound superstar has enjoyed a monumental run in the UFC’s most stacked divison.
A famous win over arch-rival Conor McGregor later in 2018 launched the Dagestan wrestler into the sport’s limelight.
Shockingly though, despite being just 32-years-old Nurmagomedov announced his immediate retirement from professional MMA following his most recent title defence against Justin Gaethje.
Whilst still rumoured to be deliberating his future and deciding whether or not to make a comeback, should Nurmagomedov opt to return to the octagon, the 32-year-old looks set for another multi-million dollar showdown with either McGregor or Dustin Poirier.
However, despite the uncertainty surrounding his own competitive future, speaking recently to MatchTV (via Russian outlet Lenta), the lightweight champion was asked which two fighters he would have loved to see go toe-to-toe.
“If just a fantasy, then I would take Brock Lesnar — a heavyweight. And it would be possible to make him a fight with Fedor Emelianenko in Russia,” Nurmagomedov said. “It would be interesting to organise a fight between the stars of Russian and American MMA.
“By the way, anything can happen.”
Despite the Russian competing in Bellator, it was well-known that UFC president Dana White desperately tried to host a fight between Emelianenko and Lesner; two of the sport’s best heavyweights.
However, after refusing to sign the deal, Emelianenko failed to face-off against Lesner with the proposed fight nothing more than distance memory.
Sadly, the mouth-watering fantasy fight, which would have been an absolute firecracker, will have to remain in fans’ and Nurmagomedov’s imaginations.