Nurmagomedov calls out Mayweather

UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to go one better than Conor McGregor after calling out boxer Floyd Mayweather, saying: “in the jungle there is only one king”.

Russian Nurmagomedov, 30, beat McGregor on 6 October to extend his unbeaten mixed martial arts record to 27-0.

It was McGregor’s first UFC fight since the Irishman lost a boxing bout to American Mayweather in August 2017.

Former five-weight world champion Mayweather is unbeaten in 50 fights.

“Let’s go, Floyd, we have to fight now,” said Nurmagomedov, in an Instagram video filmed with Leonard Ellerbe, the chief executive of Mayweather Promotions.

“50-0 v 27-0, two guys who never lose, why not? Because in the jungle there is only one king.”

Nurmagomedov, renowned for his wrestling skills, caught McGregor with a punch before winning the contest with a choke as he forced McGregor to tap out.

Mayweather, 41, stopped McGregor in the 10th round in their fight, one of the richest bouts in boxing history.

“Of course I am the king because he could not drop McGregor and I dropped him easily,” added Nurmagomedov, who defended his UFC lightweight title against McGregor.

Mayweather, who has not fought since the McGregor bout, has said he will come out of retirement to fight Manny Pacquiao in a rematch later this year.

Nurmagomedov and McGregor have both been temporarily suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission pending a full investigation into the scenes that marred the end of their fight in Las Vegas.

Following his victory, Nurmagomedov jumped the octagon fence and started fighting his rival’s team. McGregor then fought with the Russian’s camp as numerous brawls broke out. — BBC Sport