{"id":286563,"date":"2018-10-02T10:19:57","date_gmt":"2018-10-02T17:19:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/?p=286563"},"modified":"2018-10-10T20:55:10","modified_gmt":"2018-10-11T03:55:10","slug":"exclusive-coach-wants-khabib-nurmagomedov-to-fight-ferguson-gsp-next-but-retirement-is-also-possible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/exclusive-interviews\/exclusive-coach-wants-khabib-nurmagomedov-to-fight-ferguson-gsp-next-but-retirement-is-also-possible\/","title":{"rendered":"EXCLUSIVE | Coach wants Khabib Nurmagomedov to fight Ferguson, GSP next, but retirement is also possible"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Saturday’s UFC 229 title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and\u00a0Conor McGregor<\/a> is all anybody can talk about these days. This massive lightweight title fight between undefeated reigning champion and history-making former champion is dominating the headlines and airwaves, and is likely to continue doing so until well after the fight itself has drawn to a close.<\/p>\n

Eventually, of course, the Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor buzz will quiet. The loser of the fight will return to the drawing board, tail tucked between their legs, while the winner will march proudly toward their next massive challenge.<\/p>\n

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s head coach Javier Mendez, unsurprisingly, is expecting his fighter to be that winner. While he isn’t sleeping on Conor McGregor<\/a>, he’s confident that Khabib Nurmagomedov will get the job done this weekend and move on to the next challenge with his undefeated record still intact.<\/p>\n

In terms of future challenges for Khabib Nurmagomedov, Javier Mendez says he’d like to see the champion fight Tony Ferguson or Georges St-Pierre<\/a> next. That being said, the coach says Nurmagomedov could also retire after this fight \u2014 something the champ’s father seems interested in.<\/p>\n

Mendez discussed his fighter’s future on\u00a0episode 99 of BJPENN.COM Radio.<\/a><\/p>\n