“The Eagle” has broken his silence since UFC 209 and stepped in for an interview.
UFC lightweight top contender Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov was set to face fellow division contender Tony Ferguson for the interim title in the co-main event of UFC 209. However, after a horrible health scare, which hospitalized the UFC contender, Khabib was out of his title fight, and now faces the reality of not being to able fight for it again.
The UFC takes a harsh stance against fighters who miss weight. With promotional dollars spent, they want to make sure their investment in athletes is on those who show up and fight.
For the first time since being pulled from UFC 209, Khabib speaks.
Check it out: [Via Rt.com]
RT: You train at some of the best gyms in the US – such as AKA gym. How do you rate this gym in comparison to American gyms?
KN: I think everything is the same, you know. Most important thing in MMA is you have to work with the best sparring partners – this is most important. If you have very good sparring partners like wrestling, grappling, striking game – you know, the gym is not everything. You have to have discipline, sparring partners, coaches, everything. Now, in Eagles MMA team we have very good fighters. We can work with each other and push each other. We have very good coaches, we have a very good gym. We have everything to push ourselves to a different level.
RT: Right now a lot of Russian fighters go to the States to train. Do you think you can change this trend? Maybe fighters will come from the States to train in Russia?
KN: This is possible, but we have to know something. Like if you fight in the US you have to go one month before (the) fight for acclimatization and (to) make (the) weight. One month – this is very important. But before one month you can stay here and train here with best sparring partners – it’s no problem.
RT: In terms of masterclasses, do you intend to bring someone here from the States?
KN: After D.C. (Daniel Cormier) fights, Javier Mendez is gonna come here. We already talked with him. We’re gonna make this. Coaches like Javier Mendez, some fighters are gonna come like D.C., Cain (Velasquez). Not only AKA guys (American Kickboxing Academy – California-based martial arts gym where Khabib trains when in the US – Ed.), other fighters gonna come too. We gonna make it. We have a plan about it. Eagles MMA team is only three month (old), and we do a very big job, and now this is one of the biggest teams in the world.
RT: This is your first interview in English since what happened in a lead up to UFC 209. Can you give us a little bit more information on what happened on the night of March 2nd?
KN: You know I don’t remember a lot of things, to be honest. Last night (before weigh in) and I know – I am going to a hospital, I feel bad. I know that a lot of fans are upset with me about this and I agree with this guys. Because this is one of the biggest fights in Russian MMA. for me, I can make history but I am going to the hospital you know. But sometimes this happens, sometimes you can die, you know. Everybody can die, everybody can (get) sick. Now I need a couple of months. Like two or three months. After three months I come for hard training and I want to fight in September.
RT: There are talks that UFC might give Tony Ferguson a fight in September.
KN: To be honest, I don’t think about this. First of all, I have to stay healthy. This is most important. I don’t think about who fights who.
RT: What do you see as the main reason for what happened? A problem with your diet, your body?
KN: I think this is my fault, this is my fault. I know that (my) body don’t listen to me and I think, I know, this is my fault. How can I say that this is the coach’s fault or the diet guy’s fault? This is 100% my fault.
RT: Before your scheduled fight, there was some tension between you and Ferguson, but when he heard about you being hospitalized, he said he was ‘praying for you’. How do feel towards him now?
KN: I feel a little bit better (towards him). But to be honest, you know when you want to smash somebody so badly, how do you feel about this guy? This is my dream fight – a fight with Tony Ferguson. I know I pulled out, but he pulled out one time, too. But nobody talked when he pulled out. When I pull out – everybody talks about this. But it’s ok. Inshallah (God willing) I will come back and we’ll see what happens.
