UFC 257: Dana White promises to push hard for Khabib Nurmagomedov return - with Conor McGregor his top pick

Dana White says he will press Khabib Nurmagomedov “as hard as I can” to fight one more time in the UFC when they meet in Abu Dhabi, with a rematch against Conor McGregor his ideal match-up.

Lightweight champion Nurmagomedov, 32, announced his shock retirement at UFC 254 in the capital in October, moments after defeating Justin Gaethje by second-round submission to defend his crown and lift his unbeaten professional record to 29-0.

The Dagestan native has often stated since that he would not return to the octagon, although he does plan to sit down with White during the upcoming Fight Island series, which begins this week.

Speaking to ESPN on Monday, White said: "I'm obviously meeting with him because I think that he should fight again. Look at what he did to Justin Gaethje; look at what he's done to every opponent he has faced.

“Like when I wanted [former two-division champion] Daniel Cormier to stay, I still think they’re the best in the world. And then there’s always the argument, ‘Well, it’s never a bad thing to go out on top’.

“And when you talk about money, Khabib has money beyond belief. This guy doesn’t ever have to work again and he still has the ability to do things to make unbelievable money. He’s in a very unique position as a fighter.

“[But] I think he should fight again and I’m going to press him as hard as I can for one more.”

Nurmagomedov’s decision to retire was prompted by his father’s death in July. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who acted also as his son’s long-time coach, died aged 57 from heart complications made worse by contracting Covid-19. Khabib Nurmagomedov said later that he had promised his mother he would not fight beyond UFC 254. His father, though, had always wanted him to reach 30-0 before calling time on his future Hall-of-Fame career.

“As a promoter, you always want the best guys in the world,” White said when asked how he viewed Nurmagomedov’s decision both as a promoter and a fight fan. “But at the same time as a promoter, when a guy wants to retire he probably should if that’s even crossing your mind or thinking.

“The difference with a guy like Khabib is he’s been through so much and losing his dad was such a major blow to him. [Mixed martial arts is] something that they did together, yet his dad wanted him to hit 30-0.

“But as a fight fan, I want Khabib to fight 10 more.”

Khabib v Poirier in Abu Dhabi

White’s meet with Nurmagomedov will be their first face-to-face interaction since UFC 254, with the UFC president saying he expects to have a definitive answer on the champion’s future once they sit down together.

White is in Abu Dhabi for the UFC's third Fight Island series, which features three events in nine days from Saturday and culminates in the huge lightweight clash between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on January 24.

The UFC has been keen to rebook McGregor and Nurmagomedov following their record-breaking, money-spinning bout in October 2018. Nurmagomedov won via submission in the fourth round to retain his title.

“No matter what you think of Conor personally, Conor McGregor is not only one of the best in the world, [but] one of the best to ever do it,” White said. “Right now he’s as focused as he’s ever been.

“I don’t know if this is going to be the same Conor after the Poirier fight. Like you said, Conor goes like this [ups and downs]. But if this Conor sticks around for the next year, how do you not do Khabib versus Conor again?

“The division’s stacked with tough guys and the reality is that if Khabib does retire then whoever the highest-ranked guy is at the time will end up facing Conor - if Conor beats Poirier - and would fight for the title. I’m sure.”

Teachers' pay - what you need to know

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

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Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans
Jasmin Mujanović, Hurst Publishers

More on Afghanistan

Con Coughlin: US-Taliban peace deal - what's the deal and where's the peace?

National Editorial: The US-Taliban peace deal is only the first step to peace

Ken Hedricks: The Afghan scorpion farmer harvesting valuable venom

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk

Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances

All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.

Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.

Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.

Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.

Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.

Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

Power: 450hp

Torque: 700Nm

Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000

Available: Now

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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”