Khabib Nurmagomedov is, without a doubt, the most impressive fighter in MMA right now. The Russian Eagle still hasn’t lost a single fight, and the way he trashes his opponents, it appears that he isn’t going to any time soon.
Nurmagomedov recently got back in the octagon, after almost one year of absence caused by the incidents after his bout with Conor McGregor. Back then, at the UFC 229, he defeated the Notorious, who is now desperate for a rematch with the Russian. McGregor is doing all sorts of things to attract Khabib’s attention, but for now, the champion is not buying any of the stuff the Irishman is doing.
According to the bookmakers, if there would be such an event, the current titleholder would be a massive favourite to defeat his controversial rival once again. Odds on Khabib’s win right now are 2/7, while Connor’s success stands at 3/1. The odds are changing on a daily basis, and you can track them at UFC betting UK, along with all other offers for the upcoming events. Back at the UFC 229, Nurmagomedov’s triumph was 3/5, and Conor’s at 7/5, making the gap much smaller. It appears that the bookies trust the champ more than before.
The reason for such a big difference between the two fighters is the fact that Khabib is in the training process, while on the other side, McGregor didn’t fight ever since his loss. The Russian defeated Dustin Poirier at the UFC 242 in Saudi Arabia, in another event, which he entered as a heavy favourite. Odds on his success were at 1/4, while Poirier’s sensation was priced at 13/4.
Unlike McGregor, who still doesn’t know the name of his next rival, the lightweight champion is in talks with several challengers who are willing to meet him. Among those names, two are especially intriguing – Tony Ferguson and Georges St. Pierre.
The latter one is a long-time wish of the Russian, who publicly admitted that on several occasions. St. Pierre was one of the best fighters ever seen in the octagon, but he is in retirement, and it is hard to believe that the Canadian might come back and risk his legacy against a ferocious and a much younger fighter who is at his peak.
As for the fight with Ferguson, this sounds more reasonable. According to some of the sources, the two sides already began negotiating the terms, and it is said that the bout might happen in March or April 2020. The venue of the contest should be Moscow, even though many believed it would be New York. Whether is that because of the ongoing Impeachement process against President Trump who is a big fan of MMA we don’t know, but the Russian fans will have a chance to see a huge spectacle
In both cases, Khabib is a favourite, as you might guess. Against St. Pierre, his win is priced at 1/4. GSP’s victory is 3/1. The gap is a bit thinner against Ferguson, who is maybe the only guy able to restrain Nurmabomedov. But then again, the bookies don’t see it like that. The Russian Eagle to win is 1/2, while Ferguson’s upset is valued with 2/1. Recently one more name emerged to the surface, Nate Diaz. The younger of Nate brothers is back after three years, and his presence immediately drew the attention. However, he, too is an underdog against the champion. Khabib is 1/6 to win, while Diaz’s victory sits at 7/2.
