Internet sensation ‘Salt Bae’ has revealed he wants to fight Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, as he looks for a career in MMA.
Recent months have seen a number of celebrities looking to make a move into boxing or MMA with various call-outs and potential showdowns being discussed.
And now Salt Bae, whose real name is Nusret Gökçe, is looking to join the likes of YouTube sensations Logan Paul and KSI in a fight career by stepping into the Octagon, claiming that he’d be willing to fight McGregor and Khabib.
A-List Celebrities
The 36-year-old chef went viral after a video of his intricate meat-cutting skills and his trademark salt-sprinkling finish surfaced on the Twitter account of his restaurant Nusr-Et.
The video took off and propelled the Turkish restaurant owner to a new level of internet stardom, with multiple memes and more videos coming out over the past couple of years.
Salt Bae has cashed in on his popularity, surrounding himself with A-List celebrities like Roger Federer and P Diddy. He even attended the Cannes Film Festival, where he donned his salt-sprinkling pose on the red carpet.
The steak-house owner has since opened more restaurants, attracting an entourage of famous diners and being snapped with high-calibre visitors like David Beckham and Lionel Messi at his franchise.
Lionel messi part2 pic.twitter.com/7CXHnYfdgw
— Nusret #saltbae (@nusr_ett) November 17, 2018
‘I Am Ready’
And the chef now wants to switch the kitchen for the Octagon, as he explores the possibility of an MMA career.
Talking to RT News, Gökçe discussed his love for sport: “You know I am normally a butcher, but also I like sport. Every morning, I wake up early, first I do sport then all day working.”
“Of course, sport is very important. Also, you know, foods, protein, meat, very important for a sportsman.”
The restaurateur also claims he is ready to fight the world’s top UFC fighters, stating: “McGregor, Khabib, everybody, I am ready.”
“I respect too much but one day if you invite me, I am ready for fighting.”
Knives For Gloves
McGregor is currently preparing for his UFC comeback against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone at UFC 246 on January 18 2020, whilst Khabib will face Tony Ferguson next April.
With the current UFC top-dogs preoccupied with their own high-flying careers, it looks like Salt Bae might not get to fight his preferred opponents.
But with the wave of internet and social media personalities making their way into combat sports, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Salt Bae trading knives for gloves at some point in the future.
(Featured image source: Instagram/ Nusret Gökçe)