UFC: Khabib Wants A Special Rules Fight With Floyd Mayweather

It came as a big surprise when Khabib Nurmagomedov called out Floyd Mayweather in October of 2018, for a boxing contest. After all, Conor McGregor couldn’t beat the undefeated boxer. Although Khabib had just beaten McGregor the week previously at UFC 229, the Irishman is primarily a striker, while the Dagestani comes from a Sambo background.

Even knowing this, Khabib and Mayweather have both regularly expressed an interest in the fight ever since. While a boxing contest between the two could be a hard sell, Khabib’s father Abdulmanap, came up with a genius idea of making the fight eleven rounds of boxing, followed by one round of MMA.

And it would seem that Khabib himself is fully behind the idea. Speaking to TMZ Sports, the UFC lightweight champion called out Mayweather for a special rules fight.

“If you want a fight, come to UFC. This is real fight. I’m not boxer, I’m not just wrestler. I am MMA fighter. If you’re interested, maybe we can make something like my father talked about. Maybe eleven rounds box and one round MMA. Eleven round, three minute box. And the last round, twelve, five minutes MMA. I can fight.”

Obviously if this special rules fight were to ever happen, Mayweather would absolutely need to stop Khabib within the first eleven rounds. Something the 31 year old doesn’t believe Floyd is capable of.

“I don’t think he can knock me out in all eleven rounds. And what’s he going to do last round? Five minutes with me, I’m going to take him down, I’m going to maul this guy. What’s he going to do? But you know, his boxing game is very good, I agree with you. But I don’t think he can knock me out.”

Khabib is currently focused on Tony Ferguson, who he will defend his UFC lightweight title against at UFC 249 on April 18th.

Mayweather and UFC president Dana White have both confirmed that they will work together in 2020, with the boxing legend expected to compete again in some way, shape or form. Could it involve Khabib?

What do you think of Team Khabib’s special rules fight proposition for Floyd Mayweather?


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