After a weekend when the UFC president claimed no-one wanted to fight red-hot Russian, Khabib Nurmagomedov, one man has had the necessary fire to step up to the challenge. Earlier today, Michael Johnson stepped up and called threw his name into the hat:
Johnson – the #13 ranked fighter in the UFC’s new top 15 rankings – would be a great opponent for Nurmagomedov. It’s about as good a fight as could be made on such short notice ahead of UFC 170. He has (just about) earned his place among MMA’s toughest division’s elite with a convincing defeat of Joe Lauzon over three rounds and a stunning KO of Gleison Tibau. even discounting the fact I’d expect him to get tossed all over the Octagon, it makes sense. However, it seems that one of 2013’s breakthrough fighters has changed his plans, and he’ll have bigger fish to fry in a couple of months:
Johnson kept up his pursuit of the fight throughout the day, but his efforts seem to have been in vain. Fighters need to get paid, so there must be a good reason for ‘The Eagle’ wanting to wait it out. One can only imagine a truly elite contender in his immediate future. Perhaps it will be a rescheduled fight with Gil Melendez. It could even be a challenge from Nate Diaz, which is far more likely than just a few days ago after the interest sparked on social media.
If not either of the two men, the only other men ranked above Johnson without a scheduled fight are TJ Grant, Jim Miller, Gray Maynard, Edson Barboza and Bobby Green. Pair any of these men with Nurmagomedov, and we’ll still have a hell of a fight on our hands, but if a win over anyone is going to lead a 155 pound fighter, only Melendez, Diaz and possibly Miller are legitimate options.
Who do you want Khabib Nurmagomedov to fight next?
Gilbert Melendez
Nate Diaz
Michael Johnson
TJ Grant
Jim Miller
Gray Maynard
Edson Barboza
Bobby Green
Tell us your thoughts?
