“I have asked for a fight with BJ Penn but I have not received a response,” he said. “Perhaps they have different plans for him. I wanted to fight someone I watched on TV when I was younger. He is a legend.

“If BJ is not available I would love to fight (TJ) Grant. If he feels that he is the next title contender let him prove it by beating me at UFC 165 (September 21) in his homeland.”

At 20-0 UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov is ready for a named opponent. In his last bout he easily walked away with a win over Abel Trujilo, but is the AKA trained, Russian Sambo Champion ready for the elite?