Dana White claims Khabib Nurmagomedov has ‘Conor McGregor’ type of money

UFC president Dana White has claimed that Khabib Nurmagomedov has Conor McGregor-type money — in excess of $50 million.

White made the claim the post-fight press conference following UFC 246, which featured McGregor’s triumphant return to the Octagon in the main event as he ran through Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in 40 seconds.

When asked about whether or not Nurmagomedov would entertain the idea of fighting Conor McGregor in a rematch of their UFC 229 showdown, he had the following to say.

“The reality is, Khabib has never turned down a fight — ever,” White said of Nurmagomedov (via MMA Junkie). “Khabib doesn’t turn down fights. That’s just not his style. He hates Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor hates him. Anytime you talk about one to the other, those are the type of responses you’re going to get.

“Everybody talks about how rich Conor is,” White said. “Khabib is rich. Khabib has that type of money. Khabib has that type of money. When I say that type of money, I mean over $50 million.”

Regardless of whether or not the figure is accurate, Nurmagomedov is clearly in a great position financially after his last two big wins over Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor. With his upcoming fight against Tony Ferguson being viewed as one of the most important bouts in UFC history, there’s a very good chance he could be on the verge of cementing his position as the greatest lightweight of all time.

In the wake of that fight, if he’s able to get past “El Cucuy”, there are going to be quite a few options on the table for “The Eagle”. Another fight against McGregor is certainly one of them, but with Justin Gaethje waiting in the wings, it’s safe to say that Khabib is going to have his hands full in the next few months if not years.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 1/20/2020.