Khabib Nurmagomedov has named three fighters Conor McGregor should face and claimed the Irishman needs a 'nine or ten fight win streak' in order to get a rematch.
The Russian defends his lightweight title against interim champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 on Saturday but he's dismissed any chance of McGregor getting the chance to fight the winner.
Speaking to ESPN Khabib claimed McGregor would need to win up to 10 fights before getting his rematch, saying, "I don't think this fight can happen.
"This guy has to come back and make nine or 10-(fight) win streak, then we're going to fight.
"People who watch this interview, maybe they think, 'Oh he thinks about this, but when UFC ask this guy to fight Conor for a million dollars, this guy is gonna take this fight.'
"Come back and show who you are. Fight with Justin (Gaethje), fight with (Al) Iaquinta, fight with Tony (Ferguson).
"Fight - just show up. When (did) he win last time? Three years ago. And this guy wants to fight for the title? No, it's not happening."
Khabib has a pretty good point about his rivals recent record. It had been nearly three years since the Irishman won a fight in UFC, when he beat Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title at UFC 205.
After that the former two weight champ decided to take a break from the sport and then returned to face Floyd Mayweather in a boxing fight.
Having lost to 'Money' he finally returned to the octagon last October to face Khabib for the title that he'd been forced to vacate due to his inactivity, that the Russian had since won.
'The Eagle' and 'The Notorious' were both handed six month bans following their fight last October thanks to the altercation following Khabib's fourth round win that saw the Russian jump into the audience.
In the meantime Poirier won the interim title, beating Max Holloway at UFC 236 in April, now the American has the the chance to become undisputed champion when he faces Nurmagomedov in Saudi Arabia.
Of the three men Khabib has told his foe to face before thinking of a rematch the Russian has only faced Al Iaquinta, who he beat to win McGregor's vacated lightweight title.
Four times he was supposed to face Tony Ferguson but one or the other man had to pull out of the fight on each occasion and many think Ferguson should be the next to challenge for the title.
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