Khabib Nurmagomedov: Eddie Alvarez has ‘only one UFC victory’

Khabib Nurmagomedov is calling into question the validity of Eddie Alvarez's UFC run.

Alvarez lost to Donald Cerrone and then beat Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis, both by split decision, before defeating Rafael dos Anjos to win the UFC lightweight title last month. Nurmagomedov only thinks Alvarez has one true win in the promotion, he said in an Instagram post Monday.

"Do you really believe, that with that only one UFC victory, you are great fighter and can dictate your terms?" Nurmagomedov wrote. "I don't think so. Remember, with or without the belt, I will hunt you down. Your name in my blacklist."

So Alvarerez says that I never fight with top fighters and talking about my pro record. I'm not sure where he gets that information, but when I fight vs Tibau he was ranked 15, when I fight vs Tavares, he was considered as best Brazilian lightweight, Pat Healy was ranked 10, when I fight RDA he was #5. My last fight, I suppose to face Tony Ferguson who is ranked #3, but he got injured and pulled out, I asked for any light and welterweight fighter for replacement, including Alvarerez, but nobody accept. But your ass, Eddie, got kicked in first UFC fight by cowboy, second fight you won Melendez by split decision, but all experts believes you lost that one unanimously. Third one you win Pettis by split decision and after that you get title shot. You beat RDA without question. Do you really believe, that with that only one UFC victory, you are great fighter and can dictate your terms? I don't think so. Remember, with or without the belt, I will hunt you down. Your name in my blacklist. Альварез говорит что я не дрался с топами и что то говорит про мой проф рекорд, не знаю откуда он берет эту информацию, когда я дрался с Тибау он входил в топ 15, а на момент боя с Таваресом он считался лучшим бойцом Бразилии, а Хили был на 10 строчке рейтинга, РДА на момент боя со мной занимал 5 строчку рейтинга, в крайнем бою я должен был встретиться с Фергюсоном который занимает 3 строчку рейтинга, но он слетел с боя и это не мои проблемы, на замену ему я просил любого топового бойца как в 70 так и в 77 кг, и в том числе Альвареза вызывал, но не нашлось никого. А тебе Альварез в первом бою Ковбой надрал задницу, второй бой ты выграл раздельным решение у Мелендеза хотя все эксперты считают что ты проиграл этот бой единогласно, третий бой ты выграл также раздельным решением у Петиса и после этого тебе дали бой за пояс с РДА, и бой с РДА ты выграл без вопросов, и вот с этой одной победой в ЮФС и ты думаешь что ты великий и можешь диктовать условия, я так не думаю, и знай будет пояс у тебя или нет я тебя буду преследовать, ты в моем черном списке. #Alvarezwhereareyou ❓

A photo posted by Khabib Nurmagomedov (@khabib_nurmagomedov) on Aug 1, 2016 at 2:20am PDT

Alvarez said last week he didn't think Nurmagomedov was deserving of his top ranking in the lightweight division because of his lengthy absences due to injury. Nurmagomedov is coming off a second-round TKO of Darrel Horcher, a UFC newcomer and late replacement, at UFC on FOX 19 in April. Before that, the Dagestan native had not competed in two years.

"Khabib's fought once in three years and he's number one and he decides he wants a title shot?" Alvarez said on Sirius/XM Radio. "The last guy he beat was virtually unranked -€” maybe top 100 in the world -€” and he's the number one guy in the world. So who says that? Who makes that up? Who appoints him number one?"

Alvarez and Nurmagomedov are likely on a collision course at some point. Nurmagomedov (23-0) has never lost and has been dominant in the UFC since 2012, including a unanimous decision win over dos Anjos in 2014. Alvarez (28-4), though, might be looking for a bigger money fight for his first title defense. Or maybe someone like Tony Ferguson, who has won eight in a row.

Nurmagomedov has his own questions about Alvarez's résumé.

"But your ass, Eddie, got kicked in first UFC fight by cowboy [Cerrone], second fight you won Melendez by split decision, but all experts believes you lost that one unanimously," Nurmagomedov wrote. "Third one you win Pettis by split decision and after that you get title shot."