By now some UFC fans may or may not have gotten themselves familiar with lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov, who currently holds a record of 4-0 in the promotion, with wins over the likes of Gleison Tibau and Thiago Tavares. Logically, the next thing for the 24 year old Russian fighter should be a step up in competition, and that’s exactly what he wants.
Talking to UFC.com, Nurmagomedov said he’d like to fight BJ Penn, because he watched him when he was younger. If not that, he also said he’d like to fight TJ Grant, who just dropped out of a title fight in the division.
It’s probably wishful thinking, especially considering the state of BJ Penn’s career. If Penn were to come back, I think it’s unlikely that the UFC would match him against someone lesser known. Yes, Nurmagomedov has won four in a row, but so far he hasn’t beaten any big names. He does deserve a step up in competition though, and all signs point to that happening in his next fight.