White hopes to have Holloway-Poirier winner fight Khabib in September
The winner of Saturday's UFC interim lightweight title fight between Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier will meet Khabib Nurmagomedov in a unification bout that UFC president Dana White hopes will take place in September.
"They want a shot at Khabib," White told TMZ. "They'll be the interim titleholder and the next fight is Khabib. ... Hopefully, September."
Nurmagomedov (27-0) won the interim belt in a unanimous decision victory over Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 last April and successfully defended it against Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in October.
The 30-year-old Russian earned a nine-month suspension for his role in a post-fight melee outside the Octagon following his bout with McGregor and is eligible to return July 6. He can reduce his suspension by three months if he participates in an anti-bullying initiative but has said he plans to sit out until November.
Holloway (20-3) is currently the featherweight champion and would become the UFC's latest two-division champ with a victory Saturday. Originally scheduled to face Nurmagomedov at UFC 223, he was pulled from the card the day before that fight due to medical concerns about his weight cut.
Saturday's bout represents the first title shot for Poirier (24-5) after 21 fights in the UFC.