Khabib Nurmagomedov calls for Oleksandr Usyk vs Tyson Fury after hailing duo as ‘best in the world’

Russian retired from MMA with a perfect record of 29-0 on Saturday after retaining his lightweight title in the main event of UFC 254

Khabib Nurmagomedov has said he wants to see former cruiserweight titleholder Oleksandr Usyk take on WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Nurmagomedov retired from MMA on Saturday after moving to 29-0 with a stunning submission win over Justin Gaethje to retain his UFC lightweight title.

And the undefeated Russian, widely considered to be the greatest MMA fighter on the planet, has hailed Usyk, bringing up the Ukrainian’s name when asked who the best boxer in the world is.

“Right now, I think three guys: Oleksandr Usyk, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Canelo Alvarez,” said the 32-year-old, a known fan of boxing.

“Oh sorry – Tyson Fury, too. Four guys. It’s very hard [to decide] who is the best.

“I really want to see Usyk vs Fury. It’s gonna be a very good fight. He [Usyk] has very good skill and technique – Tyson Fury, too.

“He is not like other heavyweights; more technique, his footwork is very good, his conditioning is very good, I really wanna watch Usyk against Fury.”

Usyk (17-0, 13 KOs) is the mandatory challenger to Anthony Joshua’s WBO heavyweight title but must first defeat Derek Chisora in London on Saturday.