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If it’s a money fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor the people want, it’s a money fight they will get – provided the UFC pays the champ what he deserves, too.

Promotion officials have been working hard in recent weeks to finalize a deal that would book lightweight champ Nurmagomedov (26-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC) in his first title defends against McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) at UFC 229 on Oct. 6 in Las Vegas. Half the battle has been trying to sign McGregor to a new UFC contract following his $100 million payday for boxing Floyd Mayweather.

Don’t forget about the other half, though. Simply put, Nurmagomedov is out to make sure he doesn’t get short-changed.

“Interesting situation, if they want to make money fight, they have to pay me, too,” Nurmagomedov told TMZ late Thursday. “I’m not going give him chance like about use my name, and Conor make money, and UFC make money, and I make $200,000. No way.”

The fight, which would serve as McGregor highly anticipated return to MMA, is a near-lock to do massive pay-per-view numbers. The UFC’s late addition of a Friday press conference to announce headliners for the remainder of 2018 brought optimism that Nurmagomedov-McGregor could be included. However, that seemingly has vanished.

Nurmagomedov said he has no problem fighting out his contract – against top contender Dustin Poirier, who staked his claim to a title shot with a TKO finish of Eddie Alvarez last weekend at UFC on FOX 30.

But there’s “no way” he’d accept those terms to face McGregor, given the fight’s money-making potential.

“If they want, I fight like my current contract, I can fight. But, OK, give me Poirier,” Nurmagomedov said. “I’m going to follow my contract. But if they want to use my name and use me to make money – Conor and UFC – no way.”

He continued, “They want to use me? I’m the undefeated, undisputed UFC lightweight champion. I don’t need him. He need me. He’s like 2-2 (in his last four fights). He don’t fight (MMA) two years. He don’t deserve this type of shot. Dustin Poirier is (in line). He deserve this. If they want to use me and make a lot of millions, use my name, no way. They want a money fight? Please pay me.”

What that entails exactly, Nurmagomedov didn’t elaborate. But his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told MMAFighting.com this week that there would be “no way in hell” his client would fight McGregor for less money than Nate Diaz did.

For his UFC 202 rematch with McGregor in August 2016, Diaz made a guaranteed $2 million but likely made much more after his cut of pay-per-view revenue.

The bad blood between Nurmagomedov and McGregor has reached new levels ever since “The Notorious’” bus attack directed at “The Eagle.” The assault, which McGregor pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for in exchange for community service, was in retaliation for a previous UFC 223 fight-week confrontation between Nurmagomedov and McGregor teammate Artem Lobov.

Despite however the negotiations are going, one thing hasn’t changed: Nurmagomedov wants to get the fight finalized so he can punish McGregor.

“I hope it’s gonna be made,” Nurmagomedov said. “I hope they gonna make this fight, because I really want change this guy’s face. I really want to meet him alone inside the cage, only me and him.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.