During a recent interview with TMZ, former five division world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. has continued to throw stir the pot when it comes to a potential boxing match with UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 229 to retain his lightweight title, although the victory was overshadowed by post-fight incidents in which the two were involved in clashes with members of the opposing camps.
And the Russian has received various offers as he waits to learn of possible penalties, with Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson set to meet the 30-year-old over a possible Bellator fight.
Nurmagomedov was also filmed in Russia at a WBSS event on Saturday as he appeared alongside Leonard Ellerbe, the chief executive of Mayweather Promotions, and challenged Mayweather to a bout.
Mayweather says the contest has to happen in Las Vegas - where Khabib would like to stay away from, as the city is about to suspend him for several months, and possibly a year, for the recent post-fight brawl with McGregor team.
"I'm in the check cashing business. I mean, I’m my own boss so I can’t say what’s going on on Khabib’s end but on my end we can make it happen. Then I seen on IG and on social media he put, I think, basically, yeah he’ll fight but he don’t wanna fight in Vegas. Of course we know Vegas is the fighting capital, and after the fight you have to conduct yourself like a true professional. Not just in the ring, but outside the ring also you must conduct yourself like a professional. There was a big melee, I didn't see it, but from what I heard there was a big melee,” Mayweather told TMZ.
While Nurmagomedov has a perfect 27-0 record in UFC, Mayweather improved his own record to 50-0 in the ring when he knocked out McGregor, in their cross-sports boxing match, last year.
UFC president Dana White revealed last year that he had held talks with Mayweather about the possibility of the American entering the octagon for a future mixed martial arts fight.
But that won't happen with Khabib.
“Who’s the A-side? TMZ, all you gotta say is who’s the A-side. He called me out so he gotta come to my world. I seen in the interview he said when he hit Conor McGregor he knocked Conor McGregor down. He said I didn’t knock Conor McGregor down. But, okay, so Khabib you got my leftovers," Mayweather said.
“I’m Floyd Mayweather, I’m the A-side. You called me out, you come into my world. Once again, I don’t know no other fighter that has done the numbers that I’ve done. I don’t know no other fighter that has made the money that I’ve made. So, he called me out, come into my world, let’s make it happen.
“When I face Khabib, of course I’m getting a nine-figure payday. It’s more than the McGregor fight - probably a hundred million dollars more guaranteed. It could be somewhere upwards, I’m a say somewhere between $110 million and $200 million guaranteed.”
