UFC president Dana White recently said in an interview with Barstool Sports that he had lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and former two-division world champion Conor McGregor locked in to coach opposite each other in the return of "The Ultimate Fighter". But according to White, Nurmagomedov backed out after being upset that McGregor revealed direct messages he exchanged with White nixing fight plans the Irishman had in mind for himself.
White said it upset Nurmagomedov to the point that he would no longer do the show opposite his biggest rival.
Nurmagomedov nor McGregor had commented on White's claims. But that changed when the undefeated champion talked with ESPN ahead of his 155-pound title unification bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Oct. 24. While he didn't acknowledge White's assertion, Nurmagomedov went another route on why he doesn't want to coach opposite McGregor, and there isn't an amount of money that would change his line of thinking.
"This 'Ultimate Fighter' with him, this is good attention for him," Nurmagomedov told ESPN. "I don't want to give him this. I never give him this, even if they gave me $5 billion. Even if they give me UFC (ownership), I'll never do this. This is good attention for him."
Nurmagomedov and McGregor fought at UFC 229 in October 2018, with the former submitting the latter via fourth-round submission to retain the lightweight championship. The aftermath is talked about more than the actual fight as Nurmagomedov jumped over the Octagon and incited a near riot with a member of McGregor's team that spilled into the crowd and inside the cage.
A rematch between the UFC's two biggest stars is something White, McGregor and fans want because it would be the most lucrative bout in UFC history. To Nurmagomedov, if he gets by Gaethje, he won't see McGregor standing across from him as his next opponent or ever again.
"Done — everything is done," Nurmagomedov said. "(On) October 6, I finished him, and I finished everything about him. I had new challenges — Dustin Poirier, now, Justin Gaethje. We'll see who's going to be next, but I don't think it's going to be Conor McGregor."