Former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold trains alongside the champion and he claims that Nurmagomedov would need a record breaking paycheck to fight McGregor again.
“If you want a rematch, if the people want a rematch, if they are going to buy into a rematch, they are going to have to pay Khabib,” Rockhold said on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show. “Khabib doesn’t need anything at this point in his life. So they are going to have to give him a very, very hefty paycheck. Probably the biggest paycheck in the world, in the history of MMA, guaranteed on his side. I know Khabib, I have talked with Khabib and if you want a rematch, he will demand a record-breaking number.”
It could be a longtime before a potential rematch can happen anyway, as Nurmagomedov and McGregor are both waiting to see what kind of punishments they may receive for the post-fight brawl at UFC 229.
Nurmagomedov did bank $2 million for the fight at UFC 229, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) has withheld the fight purse due to the brawl. McGregor made $3 million for the fight and he has already been paid by the athletic commission, as McGregor’s fight purse wasn’t withheld.
