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3 Feb, 2020 19:06

‘They want to pay Khabib $100m’: Ali Abdelaziz reveals HUGE Saudi offer and says Mayweather is ahead of McGregor for shot (VIDEO)

Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, says Saudi suitors have offered $100m to host a fight featuring the lightweight champion - but believes Conor McGregor's comeback win over Donald Cerrone has not earned him co-billing.

Floyd Mayweather would be a more worthy current opponent than Conor McGregor for a $100m fight that has been offered to Khabib Nurmagomedov in Saudi Arabia, manager Ali Abdelaziz has argued.

Abdelaziz says he has spoken to Saudi authorities who are willing and wealthy enough to more than double the reported figure of around $40m they paid to take Anthony Joshua's rematch with Andy Ruiz Jr to Riyadh in December.

Undefeated Mayweather and new UFC welterweight champion McGregor are the opponents Saudi suitors want to lure to the Middle East, although Abdelaziz was dismissive of McGregor's comeback win over Donald Cerrone last month and has suggested the man who lost to his fighter in October 2018 needs to earn his shot.

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“You can’t get a title fight beating a guy who’s 36 years old, coming off a loss,” Abdelaziz told TMZSports, describing McGregor's 40-second win over Cerrone at UFC 246 in Las Vegas on January 19.

“Of course I’m not impressed. It was a good performance. He treated Cerrone the way he should have treated him.

“If he wants to fight a title shot like Khabib said, he needs to start fighting guys like (Justin) Gaethje, like Islam Makhachev – these kind of young guys, up-and-coming, who are coming off wins. He knocked out the guy (Gaethje) just knocked out.

“I know some people in Saudi Arabia right now. They met with me. They want to pay $100 million to Khabib to fight Conor in Saudi Arabia. They want to pay Khabib $100 million to fight Floyd in Saudi Arabia.”

McGregor's win was his only outing since losing to Nurmagomedov, while Mayweather has not fought since knocking out McGregor in a boxing match August 2017.

Abdelaziz and his potential business partners know that a meeting between Nurmagomedov and either fighter could eclipse the $600M in revenue amassed by McGregor and Mayweather in Nevada, but insists he is solely focused on his charge's fight with top-ranked challenger Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 on April 18.

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"Conor needs to start beating some guys who are relevant," he urged, telling McGregor to "get a win" before targeting a title shot.

"All this talking – it doesn’t make sense. We have to beat Tony. 

“After Tony, the ranking says Justin Gaethje. But in the meantime, if Conor thinks he’s next for the shot, he should fight Justin Gaethje.”

Nurmagomedov successfully defended his title in the United Arab Emirates in his last fight, beating Dustin Poirier in three rounds at UFC 242 on September 7.

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