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It’s no secret that former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t hold any room in his heart for former foe Conor McGregor. But it appears we’ve all underestimated just how much Nurmagomedov hates McGrgeor.
Prior to their fight at UFC 229 in October 2019, McGregor talked an almost inconceivable amount of smack. Now, that’s nothing new for the bragadocious Irishman. But this time, things went too far, with McGregor targeting Nurmagomedov’s friends and family.
The Russian superstar didn’t take kindly to this. Not only did Nurmagomedov beat the brakes off of McGregor for three rounds before submitting him in the fourth, he then proceeded to jump over the cage and go after McGregor’s associates after the fight.
Last year, the UFC put out previously unreleased audio from the fight in which you can hear Nurmagomedov’s corner telling him to “kill” McGregor. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov was talking trash to McGregor while raining down punches.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Still Wants Nothing To Do With Conor McGregor
Nearly seven years after the fight, Nurmagomedov still hasn’t stopped hating McGregor, whose career was never the same after the beating.
Nurmagomedov’s friend and teammate, Daniel Cormier, appeared on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast with Shannon Sharpe this week and went into detail about just how much Nurmagomedov hates McGregor.
“He won’t say Conor’s name still today. He still does not say his name. He hates him,” Cormier said. “Last week he did an interview in New York, he says ‘This guy.’ He’ll never say his name. He hates him.
“They’re in the Octagon and Conor goes, he whispers after the third round to Khabib, ‘It’s just business.’ Khabib goes, ‘No it ain’t. No it aint’ You don’t mess with those dudes, man. Them Russian dudes … Khabib was holding him in that [RNC] and said, ‘I kicked your a–.’”
That is a generational level of hating. Cormier added that had referee Herb Dean not stepped in, Nurmagomedov may have choked McGregor to death.
Now, in the end, combat sports are just that, a sport. But when you disrespect someone whom you must then fight, you are taking some risk with your health and safety. Nurmagomedov made it abundantly clear that McGregor’s antics were not simply fun and games to him, and you have to respect it.