Khabib Nurmagomedov believes Dustin Poirier is a more complete fighter than Conor McGregor.
The undefeated Russian faces Poirier this weekend some ten months after beating the Irishman.
And the lightweight champion believes Poirier will be a tougher challenge, despite the fact the Louisianan lost to the Irishman at featherweight in 2014, reports The Mirror.
"I think maybe right now Dustin is a more complete MMA fighter than him," said Nurmagomedov.
"Because he beat a lot of good guys in the lightweight division and I don’t remember when Conor won in the lightweight division.
"I think he only beat [Eddie] Alvarez and he has only one win in the lightweight division in a long, long time."
McGregor has said he wants another shot at Nurmagomedov if he retains his 155lb title.
But the champion told ESPN : "This guy has to come back and make nine or 10-fight win streak, then we gonna fight.
"Maybe people who watch this interview, they think, 'Oh, he thinks this, but when the UFC asks this guy to fight Conor for millions of dollars, this guy is gonna take it.' No; fight, come back and show who you are.
"I want to fight real guys - Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson, maybe if one of the greatest athletes ever, Georges St-Pierre, wants to fight. I want to fight those guys. I don't want to fight with a guy who never wins."
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