LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 06: Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia is escorted out of the arena after defeating Conor McGregor of Ireland in their UFC lightweight championship bout by way of submission during the UFC 229 event inside T-Mobile Arena on October 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Floyd Mayweather on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC 229 brawl: “You must conduct yourself like a professional”
Just last week, UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov issued the challenge heard around the combat sports world when he went after pound for pound boxing great Floyd Mayweather in a Instagram video.
Upon seeing this, Mayweather immediately told the major TV networks to start dealing out the money, supposedly accepting Nurmagomedov’s challenge.
But at the same time, Mayweather has become personally offended after hearing about the abrupt chaos that Nurmagomedov created after his UFC 229 title defense against Conor McGregor.
With that said, Mayweather took it upon himself to address not only Nurmagomedov’s behavior, but also him being better at keeping his composure in heated situations.
“I see on IG and on social media, he put, I think, he’ll fight, but he don’t want to fight in Vegas,” Mayweather told TMZ. “Of course we know, Vegas is the fighting capital, and after the fight, you have to conduct yourself like a true professional, not just in the ring, but outside of the ring also. You must conduct yourself like a professional, and it was a big melee. I haven’t had a chance to see it, but from what I heard it was a crazy melee.”
It’s safe to say Mayweather is definitely all in on taking Nurmagomedov up on his challenge, but only if it happens inside the squared circle.
“I’m Floyd Mayweather, I’m the A-side,” Mayweather said. “You called me out, you come into my world. I don’t know no other fighter that has done the numbers that I’ve done, I don’t know know other fighters who have made the money I made. So he called me out, come into my world, make it happen. When I face Khabib, of course, I make a nine-figure payday.”
Adding to that, Mayweather is not impressed in the fact that Nurmagomedov was only able to knock Conor McGregor down in their UFC 229 fight, while he was able to stop McGregor in the tenth round via TKO in their money fight last year when the referee put a halt to the contest when McGregor was still on his feet.
“I see on the interview, when he hit Conor McGregor he knocked him down and I didn’t knock Conor McGregor down,” Mayweather said. “But, okay so Khabib, you got my leftovers. Whoop dee doo.”
There are some pondering whether it’s a little too soon to see another MMA vs. boxing match up, especially after the epic spectacle that was McGregor-Mayweather in 2017.
Nevertheless, Mayweather says if there is money to be made, he will show up.
“We fighting,” Mayweather said. “I’m my own boss, so I can’t say what’s going on Khabib end, but on my end, we can make it happen.”
