Khabib Nurmagomedov plans UK trip after UFC 254, wants to watch Man United, Liverpool

There's a lot of speculation as to what is next for Khabib Nurmagomedov after UFC 254. The current undisputed UFC lightweight champion is set to defend his title against interim champion Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Saturday, October 24. Whether he faces his first defeat in UFC or he walks away with a 29-0 record, there seems to be no clear pathway for The Eagle after his scheduled fight.

Khabib previously said UFC President Dana White has something special planned for him after his fight against Justin Gaethje. While White's plans for Khabib currently remain under the wraps, the Dagestani fighter recently revealed what he intends to do after October 24. (Hint: It involves some leisure travelling and watching football matches in the UK.)

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Speaking to BT Sport this week, Khabib Nurmagomedov said he plans to visit England in the month of November and watch a lot of Premier League games. The Russian, who is known to be a massive fan of LaLiga side Real Madrid, said he prefers to watch the English Premier League over any other football league as in EPL even the teams at the bottom have some very good and intense matches. 

'After this fight, I'm going to travel a lot, come to London. I really want to watch a lot of games, Manchester, Liverpool, Manchester City, I really want to come," said Khabib. 

The lightweight champion lauded the great stadiums in England, most of which have a rich history associated with them. While the 32-year-old admitted his experience won't be the same without fans in the stadium, he still expects to watch several Premier League matches next month. Khabib also acknowledged his fondness for defending champions Liverpool, sharing a personal story of watching their epic Champions League final win in Istanbul in 2005.

"I like Liverpool. I remember when I was a kid in 2005 when I watched Liverpool versus Milan, in Dagestan. We had a big screen TV on the beach, thousands of people watching this match," he added. "And when they were losing after the first half 3-0, and I really believed, 'They have to come back, they have to come back' because I liked the team. "It was Milan Baros, (Vladimir) Smicer, (John Arne) Riise, (Sami) Hyypia. I remember this. Stevie Gerrard!"

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UFC 254 live stream, preview 

The headlining fight at UFC 254 will unsurprisingly be Khabib vs Gaethje for the lightweight title. The champion's last fight in UFC came in September 2019 when he scored a submission victory over Dustin Poirier. Justin Gaethje, 31, beat Tony Ferguson earlier this year via TKO to win the interim belt, thereby earning the right to face The Eagle. Justin 'The Highlight' Gaethje is touted as the toughest challenge Khabib will face in his title reign, so far. 

The UFC 254 main card will start at 11:30 PM IST on Saturday, October 24. Live streaming will be available on SONY LIV, while the event will be broadcasted on SONT TEN 2 & TEN 3 SD, HD. 

Also Read | UFC 254 Live Stream: How To Watch Khabib Vs Gaethje And Other Fights LIVE, TV Schedule

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(Image Credits: Khabib Instagram)