Dana reveals Khabib will NOT stick around to watch UFC 257

Dana White reveals Khabib will NOT stick around to watch rival Conor McGregor at UFC 257 and plans to ‘discuss final decision on Russian’s comeback over dinner in Las Vegas’

  • Khabib Nurmagomedov will decide on comeback based on UFC 257 displays
  • Conor McGregor faces Dustin Poirier and Dan Hooker meets Michael Chandler 
  • Khabib wants to see something spectacular from lightweight rival to inspire him
  • He is cornering his cousin in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday but will then leave

There will be no fireworks between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 257, revealed Dana White. 

The Russian, who is weighing up a comeback depending on the performances of his lightweight rivals on Saturday, is not going to stick around for the event. 

He is currently in Abu Dhabi preparing to corner his cousin Umar’s debut on Wednesday and had been expected to stay on Fight Island afterwards. 


Dana White (left) revealed that he will catch up with Khabib Nurmagomedov back in the USA

Conor McGregor and Khabib will not be in the same room on Saturday night, White said

The pound-for-pound king has not been in the same room as McGregor since their infamous UFC 229 post-fight brawl and a possible confrontation between the old rivals had been expected. 

But it seems Khabib will remain out of the limelight with White confirming that he will catch up with the 155-pound champion back in the United States. 

He said: ‘He’s cornering on Wednesday and then he leaves. He leaves and goes to Vegas. So I will have the fight and fly home on Sunday and I’ll see him again in Vegas.

‘Those fights will have played out. He and I are going to hook up and go to dinner in Vegas and talk again and we’ll make a decision. One thing that he did say is, “I’ll never hold up the division”.

‘He just said that he won’t hold up the division, so he’s either going to fight somebody, or he’s going to walk away.’

White sat down with Khabib last week to discuss the future following the Dagestani’s emotional decision to retire after beating Justin Gaethje last October.

Even though he’d promised his mother he would no longer compete after the death of his father Abdulmanap, there remains a chance he could reverse his decision to walk away. 

Khabib is still undecided about reversing his retirement but will not hold up the division

White revealed that Khabib wants to see something spectacular from one of his rivals to motivate him to come back, although he will be watching from afar. 

The main and co-main events all feature top lightweights with McGregor vs Poirier topping the bill after Dan Hooker meets Michael Chandler. 

Khabib is reportedly not interested in a mega-fight with Georges St-Pierre and time will tell whether the ‘Eagle’ decides on a return to the cage. 




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