While Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov may be rivals for life, that does not have to be the case for every Dagestani and Irish fighter, according to Timur Khizriev. The Russian featherweight will fight Ireland’s Richie Smullen this weekend at Bellator 297. Considering the magnitude of the McGregor-Nurmagomedov rivalry, the Russian faced questions about the same as he prepares to fight an Irishman. However, Khizriev was a consummate professional, focused on getting the job done against a veteran fighter in Smullen.

The Conor McGregor-Khabib Nurmagomedov rivalry contains some of the darkest chapters in UFC history. The bad blood between the pair has spilled outside the octagon on multiple occasions. While ‘The Eagle’ eventually submitted McGregor in the cage, the enmity between the two camps is very much alive to this day.

Nevertheless, Khizriev refuses to view his fight against Smullen as anything more than that. He does not see the fight as a contest between two great nations but rather as a contest between two competitors.

Dagestani star dismisses Ireland-Russia rivalry ahead of Bellator 297

Timur Khizriev took the fight against Richie Smullen on short notice. He will be facing an Irishman from SBG Ireland on Friday without even having a full camp. As he was addressing the media, the undefeated star received a question about the implication of the McGregor-Nurmagomedov rivalry in this fight. Surprisingly, he refused any trash talk against Ireland and gave a classy reply.

The Russian featherweight said, “To be honest, you’ve caught me off guard. I hadn’t even thought of such a thing that Dagestan vs. Ireland. I think it’s just a coincidence.”

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He continued, “Obviously, with Conor and Khabib, those are big names. For me, it doesn’t really matter. I know they have a lot of great fighters in Ireland, but I don’t see it as a rivalry necessarily.”

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The 27-year-old showed class in his response and spoke no ill of his opponent either. He wanted to give Smullen due credit before their clash in the cage.

Timur Khizriev previews the fight against Richie Smullen

Timur Khizriev has his work cut out for him in Richie Smullen. The 31-year-old Irishman fought in ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ finale in 2018 under the UFC. 4-1 in Bellator with a 10-2-1 record, Smullen is also affiliated with Conor McGregor’s SBG Ireland. These facts do not faze Khizriev, who has an unblemished 12-0 record. He said, “I have nothing against this opponent. I’ve checked him. He’s pretty good.”

He further added, “I pretty much prepare myself every time the same way, no matter who the opponent is. Man, I just believe God’s will. Whatever is going to be is going to be.”

Khizriev and Smullen will face each other in a featherweight bout on the prelims at the Wintrust Arena this Friday. Who are you picking to win this one? And what do you think of Khizriev’s approach to this fight?

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Let us know in the comments.