Father framed Khabib Nurmagomedov. A few hours before the fight, Adbulmanap Nurmagomedov revealed his son’s plan for the fight in an interview. Like, in the first couple of rounds there are no passes to the legs - only pressure on defense and an attempt to seize Conor McGregor's body.
Instagram can no longer be cleared
Khabib made his first pass to the legs in the 20th second of the fight. Whether it was a cunning family plan or an improvisation by one of the Nurmagomedovs is no longer so important. Conor defended himself well on the ground and pushed away from Khabib, lying very close to an advertisement for his own whiskey placed on the Octagon canvas. There was a certain metaphor in this. The Irishman, who had not competed in the UFC for almost two years and spent all this time busy with business, parties, raising a child and rather an exhibition fight with Floyd Mayweather, looked simply not ready to fight Khabib at once.
It’s not just the Russian’s skillful passes at Conor’s legs - only one fighter in the UFC managed to defend himself from Khabib’s takedowns in 10 fights - the most experienced Gleison Tibau. McGregor managed to catch a mini-knockdown in a boxing match with Nurmagomedov. IN mixed martial arts The Irishman had never allowed himself to do this before in fights with much more skilled strikers, suffering his only knockout defeat in the boxing ring from Mayweather.
But Khabib didn’t need a knockout. The incredible desire to humiliate his opponent after all the dirty statements could have ruined Nurmagomedov, but he still teetered on the brink of breakdown, although he periodically forgot himself during the rounds. Fortunately for the Dagestani team, Khabib did not make fatal mistakes at such moments and ended the fight in the way that was best for him - Conor admitted defeat and gave up, unable to bear the pain from his clenched jaw.
As it turned out, after early victory Khabib has enough strength left. Nurmagomedov’s explosive character is known at least from his Instagram page, posts from which are sometimes deleted by the administration of the social network out of harm’s way. What happened in Vegas ended up on hundreds of thousands of pages of the popular resource - now it’s impossible to completely clean up Instagram.
The Dagestani elegantly jumped over the fence and began beating Dillon Danis, a Bellator fighter and Conor's jiu-jitsu coach. While Nurmagomedov was being showered with blows by the Irishman’s other sparring partners, and security was trying to break up the brawl, McGregor was already fighting the second Russian of the evening in the Octagon. The Irishman exchanged a couple of jabs with Zubaira Tukhugov.
Prison or Russia
Even Daniel Cormier, a good friend of Nurmagomedov, UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion and the American equivalent of Fedor Emelianenko, began to calm Khabib down. UFC President Dana White, who got involved, only heard from the Russian: “Put me in jail if I’m guilty. Just give me the belt!” Khabib was never given the belt - the fighters were taken to the locker rooms under guard. But as for prison, everything is still possible.
Three representatives of Khabib’s team went to the police station immediately after the end of the fight. What will happen to Nurmagomedov himself is still unknown, but this outburst of anger could cost him very dearly. The point is not only in the peculiar American laws, according to which a Russian can, if not be sent to jail, then certainly be deprived of a visa and deported to Russia. Dana White, together with the UFC management, will now closely think about Khabib’s prospects. The Russian has already frozen his payment for the fight until the investigation is completed - McGregor will definitely get his money.
Nurmagomedov could become the new Conor, only calmer and more reasonable: first give the hot-tempered Irishman revenge, once again milking this goldfish, and then, with a tightly stuffed wallet, fight for his own pleasure with Tony Ferguson or anyone else until the end of his career - his father gave Khabib a couple more years in professional sports. Now, no one will allow the Russian and McGregor into the same room, and Khabib will most likely spend those same couple of years in litigation, mutual proceedings and deprivation of the championship belt due to a long period of inactivity outside the octagon.
If everything really goes according to this scenario, then the fight with Conor will be Khabib’s last. Yes, Nurmagomedov will leave in a certain sense at the peak and undefeated, but how many great fights could he still have?
On the morning of Sunday, October 7, UFC champion lightweight Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov made the first defense of his title. The Russian’s opponent in the ring was the Irishman Conor McGregor. The fighters were initially bound by personal hostility, and therefore many expected provocations and violations of the rules during the battle. Generally speaking, this is what happened - after the victory, Nurmagomedov started a brawl with Conor’s team.
The reason for the fight after the fight between Khabib and Conor
Viewers on their television screens after Nurmagomedov’s victory could see only one thing - the Russian fighter jumped out of the cage and rushed into a fight with Conor McGregor’s entourage.
Afterwards, general chaos arose in the ring - Nurmagomedov’s team attacked Conor, and it was impossible to tell who was there and who was beating whom. As a result, all the details became known later. As it turned out, after the Russian’s triumph, Conor began throwing garbage and shouting insults in his direction - Nurmagomedov could not stand it and finally poured out all his aggression towards his opponent who did not respect him.
Yes, Conor and his team have been “running up” for a long time - even before the fight, for several months Nurmagomedov, his family, religion and country were showered with numerous insults and humiliations. At the same time, the refusal to accept his victory completely infuriated the fighter.
As a result, the brawl could only be broken up with the help of the police - the fighters were taken away from the ring without making an official and solemn announcement of the winner. After the fight, Dana White came up to congratulate Conor, who held up well throughout the fight, but the Irishman did not forgive himself for the loss - he was simply beside himself. “I don’t care that I fought well. I wanted to disgrace him!” he shouted.
Nurmagomedov was also on the verge of a breakdown. He won, but the belt was never given to him.
UFC head Dana White said that if he does this, spectators may break into the octagon. “Give me the belt, and only then take me to prison, but I deserve the belt!” Khabib shouted.
For the first time in UFC history, the result was announced without a winner and without a loser. Both fighters and members of their teams left the arena at the request of the organizers.
As a result, the winner - Khabib Nurmagomedov - was announced in an empty ring. The championship belt was taken out and, without being handed over, taken away.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has launched an investigation into the incident. “Khabib could be fined or disqualified. If Nurmagomedov is suspended for a very long time, then, of course, the league will be forced to strip him of his title. In any case, he will not receive his prize money until the end of the investigation,” said the head of the Absolute Fighting Championship, Dana White.
Khabib apologized
Khabib Nurmagomedov apologized for what happened at the post-match press conference. “I want to apologize to all of Vegas, the Athletic Commission. I did not prove myself with the best side. This is bad, but how can people tell me why I jumped over the fence when someone is talking about my religion, about my country, about my father. This is not a sport with insults, this is a sport in which the opponent is respected, I want it to be like this, I want to change this game,” said Khabib Nurmagomedov. As a result of the brawl, the police detained three people who attacked McGregor in the ring, but eventually released them without charges.
When will the commission announce its decision?
The investigation into the circumstances of the incident, which occurred after the main fight of the year in mixed martial arts (MMA) between Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov and Irishman Conor McGregor, will last at least until the end of November. This was stated by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, whose representatives, given the “exceptional complexity” of the case, refrained from speculating about what punishment the participants in the mass brawl in the Octagon and beyond might face. True, the head of the UFC promotion, Dana White, has already stated that Nurmagomedov, who after defeating McGregor left the fight site and got into a fight with the Irishman’s sparring partner, will most likely get off with a not too long disqualification - up to six months. Anthony Marnell warned the investigation would be lengthy as it was a "case of exceptional complexity". According to him, it will end “no earlier than the end of November.”
At the same time, the commission expects not only to hear the testimony of fighters and other witnesses and participants in fights, but also to obtain advice from the state prosecutor. According to Mr. Marnell, it is necessary to correctly qualify actions related to crossing the boundaries of the Octagon.
Meanwhile, UFC head Dana White, in an interview with TMZ, expressed his opinion about the possible consequences of the incident for Khabib Nurmagomedov. White, who previously said that the Russian could be deprived of the championship title, did not rule out that the Russian athlete would get off with only a small fine compared to his due fee (the guaranteed amount for Nurmagomedov is $2 million) - about $250 thousand, as well as a relatively small disqualification - “from four to six months.” Anthony Marnell was more reserved in his forecasts.
He only confirmed that Khabib Nurmagomedov's fee (as opposed to Conor McGregor's fee - $3 million) was withheld by the Nevada Athletic Commission until the circumstances of the scandal were clarified, and when asked whether punishment in the form of a fine or disqualification would be applied to the Russian, he replied that such measures can be applied “to both fighters.”
Will there be a rematch?
Many are saying that Nurmagomedov will not just give the belt to McGregor - the Irishman will definitely challenge him to a rematch. The organizers won’t mind either, because despite the many scandals surrounding the fight, they earned crazy amounts of money in such a short period of time. Athletes do not officially say that they would like to meet each other.
But Tony Ferguson speaks for them - he wants to get into the ring against Nurmagomedov.
“Khabib is a champion, I remain a champion too. Conor McGregor doesn't want to fight me. He came out for the weigh-in, saw me and froze. Nobody wants to be alone with me in the cage, nobody wants to take my hits. I'm a beast on another level."
It is impossible not to say that fans wish Nurmagomedov to become not just a belt holder, but a real Champion - first of all, within himself. It should not be provoked, humiliated and humiliated.
“He could have come out of the cage a real winner, but he acted ridiculously,” a quote from UFC President Dana White described the whole circus that Khabib created.
"Conor McGregor cried after losing to me." What was the first defeat of the most popular UFC fighter
Champion UFC Conor McGregor earns $3.5 million per fight. Match TV correspondent Alexander Lyutikov recorded the story of the Lithuanian fighter Artemy Sitenkov, who in 2008 inflicted McGregor’s first defeat for a fee of 500 euros.
600 grams, 500 euros, 400 spectators
Artemy Sitenkov was born in Vilnius in 1983. Mom is a teacher, father is a turner. At the age of seven, Artemy enrolled in the judo section. I wanted to study myself. I dreamed of a black belt - I got it. I wanted to go to the Olympics in Beijing, but it didn’t work out. He performed in sambo: he was fifth in the world in sports and second in combat. He started fighting in MMA while simultaneously working in the Vilnius municipality. Responsible for public procurement, monitored compliance with tender conditions. Artemy himself calls that period simply: “I fought with pieces of paper.” Sometimes he came to work with bruises and abrasions on his face, but no one noticed this, including the mayor of Vilnius, with whom Sitenkov shook hands. In the mid-2000s, weight categories were treated more simply, so the 61-kilogram Sitenkov, in his second MMA fight, faced the most dangerous Lithuanian fighter of that time - the 70-kilogram Remigijus Morkevicius, who had won six of his eight fights by knockout. “I didn’t have a manager then - and they simply exposed me as meat,” says Artemy.
The manager appeared in 2007 - his name was Alfredas Lifsikas. It sounds solid, if you don’t know that Alfredas was 16 years old at that moment. He was interested in fights, ran a thematic website, and began bombarding the mailboxes of the organizers of MMA tournaments in Europe with letters offering to bring a fighter from Lithuania. Until Alfredas reached adulthood, he traveled abroad using a guardianship power of attorney, which his parents issued to Sitenkov. Lifsikas is now the manager of UFC fighter Nikita Krylov.
“Abroad, they mostly need fighters to lose,” says Sitenkov. “And I’m just so thin and nondescript—they weren’t afraid to invite me.” I had a tactic: when I won, I pretended that it happened by accident, so that they would invite me later. And McGregor fell under the same comb. They were looking for an opponent for him - and then my profile caught my eye: oh, poor Lithuanian, fight statistics 5-4, let's call him. And they called. Moreover, there was a cunning move: they said that I should fly at my own expense, and after the fight they would pay for my tickets.
-What's the trick?
– My weight was 61 kg, and the fight was planned at a weight of up to 66 – it didn’t bother me. But then miracles began. Before the weigh-in, I see McGregor, he’s sweating and losing weight. He comes to weigh-in and immediately says: “We need other scales.” I still think so - why other scales? Okay, others bring it. He stands on them: 67.8 kg. The weight is almost two kilograms. Takes off his panties - 66.6. That's what I thought - do panties weigh a kilogram? This is some kind of nonsense. And they ask me: “He has an advantage of 600 grams, do you agree to fight?” No problem, I say. I can’t refuse: I paid 200 euros for the ticket - and if I refuse, no one will return it to me. But that's not the whole story. When I stepped on these scales, they showed 59. And I knew for sure that my weight was 61 kg. That is, the scales were adjusted to make it easier for the local fighter to fit into the weight. Honestly, I still don’t understand why those scales showed a kilogram less the second time he stood on them. Maybe they are somehow loose and show different weights all the time - I don’t know. Probably, if you write this, they won’t really believe you, but I’m telling it like it was.
– In one of the Russian promotions, the scales show one and a half kilograms less. Only visiting fighters are not always warned about this. So your story won't surprise everyone.
- Here you go. And for me then it was new. That is, Conor, even at the weigh-in, was about eight kilograms heavier than me - and this is provided that he lost weight. And he was so happy then, he told everyone: “There will be a knockout, a knockout.” And I immediately realized that he underestimated me.
– From the video it seems that you were fighting in some hangar.
– In Ireland, all fights look like this. It was a very small local tournament. There were maybe 400 spectators or a little more in the stands. The fight, of course, turned out to be quick. The good thing about the knee lever is that it’s easier to catch people from Western Europe. They mainly study Brazilian jiu-jitsu - and it’s quite difficult to do anything to their arm or neck, but they don’t always protect their legs well. And here sambo wrestlers have a good opportunity to attack. When we fell to the ground, Conor was focused on preventing me from landing an armbar. And I went to the knee lever.
– What happened after he gave up?
– McGregor cried, the coach consoled him. Conor was 19 years old at the time of the fight - essentially, yesterday’s teenager. Then he fought a little thoughtlessly: he simply ran out and beat everyone, winning by knockout. There was no special strategy.
– How much did you get for that fight?
– Something about 500 euros. Plus they reimbursed the cost of tickets. There was no talk about revenge.
In 2008, the year of his defeat by Sitenkov, Conor McGregor quit his job as a plumber, began training twice a day and living on money from fights and a social security benefit of $235. A little more than seven years will pass, Conor will grow a beard, be covered with tattoos and will begin to receive $1 million for entering the fight, excluding sponsorship contracts and percentages from sales of paid broadcasts.
Conor McGregor seven years after losing to Artemy Sitenkov
Ireland, half-homeless, cell phones
At the time of the fight with McGregor, Artemy was officially unemployed. After leaving the municipality, he worked as a realtor, but soon realized that hired work was not for him.
– Yes, I was unemployed then, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t earn enough. I continued to work in real estate, but for myself. At that time there was an economic boom in Lithuania, I was selling new houses - and I could make a good profit from this. Roughly speaking, in the first month of my official unemployment I earned as much as in two years of hired work. And I realized that I don’t have to work for anyone. Is it true, good life didn't last long.
- What's happened?
– When the crisis began in 2009, all my money was invested in a two-story house for two families, which I and my partners were building for sale. The builder we worked with did not meet the deadlines: if everything had gone according to plan, we would have had time to deliver this house before the crisis. But they didn’t have time: real estate prices collapsed. As a result, we successfully gave this unfinished house to the bank for the loan debt. I was left with nothing and started from scratch. I went to Ireland for a year - and it was the worst year of my life. 30 km from Dublin, I and another person opened a martial arts gym, and I worked there as a trainer. But in fact he was half homeless.
– The hall didn’t bring in a lot of money?
“The hall didn’t bring in any money at all.” I earned 200 and sometimes 300 euros a month there. I paid about 150 euros, and sometimes more, for renting a room and utility bills. It was impossible to live on the remaining money. I remember I decided to find a job as a dishwasher. I wrote a resume and they didn’t call. I crossed out that I was the director of a real estate agency, and they started calling. I came for an interview and was sure that they would hire me: this restaurant has Ukrainian waiters, and I speak English, Russian, Polish and Lithuanian. But they didn’t take it - and later I even understood why. There they need disenfranchised workers who can be easily and without any risk taken out of money. And for some reason I said that I am an athlete, I fight. It must have been confusing. But then I found one scheme for making money.
-Which one?
– I went to Dublin, bought mobile phones at a discount and sent them to Lithuania – one got 30 euros. The difficulty was that the promotions were held irregularly and only two phones were given to one person. I walked along different salons, changed clothes, tried not to fall for familiar sellers, hired other Lithuanians, whom he paid 3 euros for the mobile phone they bought: in three hours they could earn about 50 euros.
– You have a flair for business.
– In fact, I am a very calm and primitive person. There is just such a word - necessary. I had to find money for food, for life. And I found it. When there were no promotions for the sale of mobile phones for a long time, I took it upon myself to drop flyers into mailboxes a couple of times - that’s 50 euros a day. Dumb work, of course, but I needed money. And it was during this period that I lived only thanks to the battles. I fought, received a fee - and I had working capital to buy mobile phones.
– Was there such a thing that you agreed to fight only for money?
“One day I was lying in bed after an illness, and I got a call: “Do you want to fight a Japanese in Macau?” - "Want". - “Then you need to get to the airport in time.” And from that moment on I only remember how they changed vehicles: taxi to the airport, plane, transfer in Frankfurt, plane to Hong Kong, transfer to the ferry, ferry to Macau, transfer to the arena - the whole journey took at least eighteen hours. They bring me to the arena, I step on the scales - the opponent makes sure that I fit in the weight, and twenty minutes later our fight begins. This feeling was very strange: in essence, I was torn out of bed and brought to the other side of the world to fight there. Lost, of course. But I agreed to this fight not because I wanted to win, but because I wanted to make money.
- And did you make good money?
– In general, yes, only they cheated a little with the fee: the organizer gave $2,000 less than he promised. But I didn’t lose much, because I had to give a thousand of my fee to the person who offered me this option. I told him: “Take your share of the two thousand that they didn’t pay me.” There was another fight that I am pleased to remember. I defeated James Doolan, who at that time was many times cooler than McGregor. It turned out beautifully: I did a painful hold from the stand. Dulan stood on his feet, I hung on him a little and went out on the lever with my elbow.
But even with the fighting, living in Ireland sucked. You don’t really communicate with Lithuanians, the Irish don’t let you in - and it turns out that you don’t have any socialization at all. There also began friction with a business partner, who said that it was because of me that the gym was not so successful. I shrugged: “You're probably right. Give me back the money I invested in the gym.” He agreed, I left for Lithuania and then found out that the hall closed in two months.
– What did you do in Lithuania?
– I bought myself a Mazda – rusty, old. And I started going to Poland for mobile phones. Plus, to deliver something somewhere, to resell something somewhere, to help someone. Rarely slept more than four or five hours. And in three years I was able to save up for an apartment. Yes, it sounds like I'm some kind of huckster. But here's the moment. I am a civil servant by first education and an economist by second. I studied for four years, got into a suit, tightened my tie and went to earn something like 370 euros at the municipality. Why and what did I study if I spent four years studying and now I earn 370, but I could have learned to mix cement, lay tiles and earn 1,500 euros at a construction site? I can express everything with money and time. Absolutely everything. And when you think like that, you seem to become a little cynical, but your mind clears up. And you understand: why work in a supposedly prestigious job and wear a suit and tie, when you can drive a rusty car to Poland to buy cell phones and earn more, even if you have to walk around dirty and itchy. But when I wore a tie and earned 370 euros, all the neighbors said to my mother: “What a great guy, such a promising guy.”
Heels in Vaseline, barbecue before weighing, how to grow at 30 years old
In 2012, Sitenkov won his last high-profile victory: another Irishman, Neil Siri, surrendered from a knee lever. Artemy became number one in Europe in the weight category up to 57 kg and was waiting to be signed by the UFC. But those whom he defeated were signed there: McGregor, Siri.
– You defeated McGregor in 69 seconds, Doolan – in 34, Neil Seery – in 55. And in the 30th second of the fight, you almost gave a knee lever to another future UFC fighter – Patrick Holohan. How did this happen?
– It’s just the beginning of the fight, the opponent hasn’t had time to sweat yet – and it turns out to take a tight grip. And Holohana would probably have won if he hadn’t turned out to be so slippery. I won’t begrudge him anything, he’s a great fighter, but if I were him, before a fight with someone who often wins with knee leverage, I’d consider putting Vaseline on his heels. No judge at this level would check heels. But I won't complain. Lost and lost. At that time I was number one in Europe in the weight category up to 57 kg. But the second and third numbers from that ranking, Phil Harris and Neil Seery, got into the UFC. But I stayed in Europe and was forced to fight one category heavier, because in the weight category up to 57 kg they couldn’t organize a fight for me. Lost to Holohan, then to Haggstrom. And after that I realized that I would never get into the UFC in my life. From then on I fought just for fun. Last Stand, in which I tried - against Peter Menga two years ago. I lost to him by decision.
“After that there were four more defeats in five fights. Didn't you try there?
“I’ll be honest: as a fighter, I’m nothing like myself right now.” I wonder when I last time I was jogging.
– I’m interested too. Remember.
– About two years ago, probably. I walk through the woods. I train the guys at the club, I fight with them. And that's more or less all the workload I get. In a fight, I essentially have a minute while I’m full of energy. And then I start to choke. In this minute I need to try to win, and if it doesn’t work out, then I essentially become a bag and don’t pose much of a threat.
- Why are you fighting then?
- For fun. This is a trip to another country, this is easy money that you can earn in two days. I know how to protect my head and how to avoid injury.
– Do you plan to perform like this for a long time?
- Oh. This is such a serious question. But I say: everything can be measured by money and time. How long am I willing to go into the ring and get paid for it? To old age. I can also win if I catch and drag someone to the ground in the first minute.
– When you go to your profile, say, on the website sherdog.com, don’t you think that this page could look more beautiful if it weren’t for those fights in which you didn’t try?
– Absolutely honestly – after I didn’t get into the UFC, I don’t care. Look. They would tell you: here’s a billion dollars and you’ll always be bald. Or half a billion - and you will always walk around with dirty nails. In principle, this deal can be considered, right? And it’s the same here. I earned some thousands, but because of this my statistics page looks a little worse. Well, it doesn't upset me.
– What was the smallest fee you ever fought for?
– 60 euros. This was in Lithuania – a long time ago, of course. For a fight in Lithuania in 2013 I received, I think, 450 euros. And my biggest fee for a fight was at the level of the lowest fees in the UFC.
– Is the story with the scales and McGregor the only one of its kind? Or have you encountered something similar yet?
- Sometimes it happens like this. The fight officially takes place, say, at a weight of up to 57 kg, but both fighters agree not to push the weight and eat barbecue together before the weigh-in. And then at the weigh-in they are told the required weight. And whoever doesn’t know how to negotiate sits hungry in the sauna and has his last grams excess weight evaporates from itself. But everything is fair here.
– Have you ever encountered doping control at the tournaments in which you participated?
– I have never been checked. Nowhere and never. So if I wanted to dope, I would. But I didn't want to. That I am not on doping is, in principle, clear to everyone who has seen me: I have always been thin, small, and not to say super-endurable. Don’t think that this is the race of a person who was not accepted into the UFC, I’m just sure: the vast majority of fighters there are on steroids. It's just doping high level. Growth hormone or some kind of course that is not monitored and changes parameters at the hormonal level. There are even visual confirmations. He was a skinny man - incredibly overgrown with muscles. Someone's jaw has grown. There are people who suddenly begin to grow at the age of 30 and grow almost 10 cm - what nonsense, they are not teenagers. Yes, top-level fighters have two or three training sessions a day, superhuman loads. I admire them. At the same time, I clearly understand that in almost all cases there is a place for doping. It's their choice.
– You yourself had no desire to gain weight in this way?
- No. Why? Will I not need a liver later? I'll need a liver. I want to be healthy, I want to live to see the moment when I will nurse my grandchildren. And then - I never saw the prospect for myself of being only an MMA fighter. Yes, I wanted to get into the UFC. Yes, he could have won some fights there – also because of his unconventionality and clumsiness. But I understood that I would not live from this. Well, what do they pay in the UFC – $5,000 for the first fights? This is not the same money at all, if you take into account the costs of preparation. For me, fighting has always been a hobby; I only considered it as a way to survive when I was living in Ireland. Now I have chosen a quieter, almost retired hobby.
- What is this?
– I am a philobutonist – there is such an area of collecting. I collect buttons, buttonholes, cockades. Today I bought a Polish buttonhole. The fireman's cockade is also most likely Polish. Two Napoleonic buttons. Plus, I am partly a numismatist: I collect coins of Tsarist Russia and adjacent territories - Poland for that matter. There are all Lithuanian coins. Basically, I could spend my entire fight fee on antiques. That is, one hobby covers the costs of another hobby. I have a German silver pen - from the times when Polish Gdansk was German Danzig. I want to restore it - and write to her. I communicate with professors, I love history, I know the roots of my family. My grandparents on my father’s side came to Lithuania from the Novgorod region after the war. And my mother’s roots are from Belarus - from the Ostrovetsky district, which either belonged to Russia or Poland. There were very big battles there during the First World War. All this is very interesting to study.
– Did you ever communicate with McGregor after your fight?
- Yes. When I lived in Ireland, we saw each other at competitions - he came up and said hello. Conor is normal in communication. He worked as a plumber, a simple man. Looking at him now, I don’t know – has he really become so frostbitten or is this an act for the camera? I think he still plays a role. By the way, he also mentioned me once in an interview. True, not very good.
- What did he say about you?
- “Skinny Lithuanian asshole.”
Text: Alexander Lyutikov
Photo: Getty Images, instagram.com/thenotoriousmma
The UFC 229 tournament ended in Las Vegas, the main event of which was the fight between the lightweight champion title holder, 30-year-old Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov (27-0) and his peer from Ireland – ex-UFC champion in two weight categories Conor McGregor (21-4). To say that the show turned out to be scandalous is to say nothing.
Didn't answer for the market. Khabib strangled Conor
McGregor has never been in so much pain before. And one more thing. It was the most scandalous fight in MMA.
Fight is strength
Khabib's tactics are obvious to everyone, but few can resist his ability to carry out takedowns and then control his opponent. McGregor missed a pass to the legs in the first minute of the fight and throughout the remaining time of the round was forced to spend energy trying to hold back his opponent, who was trying to improve his position. Nurmagomedov controlled his opponent in an exemplary manner, forcing him to lose energy, while the Russian himself slowly but surely implemented his game plan: wear down his opponent and get to work.
The beginning of the second round was marked by an accurate hit from the right through the arm performed by the Russian. Conor backed away, and Eagle jumped and tried to catch up with his victim, shaking his knee. It didn’t work out quickly, but it was possible to once again take the opponent to the ground, where Khabib was more sophisticated in his attacking actions. Nurmagomedov found himself in full mount and delivered a series of crushing blows. Hammerfists mixed with amplitude strikes from above pretty much shook Conor. Referee Herb Dean even loudly encouraged the Irishman several times to be more active defensively. The fact that Conor managed to endure until the end of the round can already be considered a miracle. A round that, without exaggeration, can be assessed as 10:8 in favor of the Russian fighter. Exhausted, shocked, but with a smile on his face, McGregor rose from the canvas at the moment of the gong for a break, and at the beginning of the third five-minute period he tried to force his opponent to fight.
“You stinky rat!” Traveling Irish attacked a Russian reporter in Vegas
I just put on a hat...
Khabib Time
And it’s worth admitting that Conor did it well at first. McGregor has finally found a distance that is comfortable for himself, allowing him to deliver his trademark side kicks while jumping with his left, as well as control his opponent’s takedown attempts. McGregor hit the target several times, but his punches did not carry destructive power. At the same time, Khabib, it seemed, purposefully acted as number two, without forcing events and allowing his opponent to reach even further.
The denouement came in the fourth five-minute period, when the Russian managed another pass to the legs and, as a result, a transfer and jewelry work to improve the position. At first, Khabib tried to go for a choke from behind his back, and after an unsuccessful attempt, he adjusted his actions and, going behind his back, snapped a tight lock on the Irishman’s neck. Conor had no choice but to give up. He tapped his opponent's hand. Khabib won his 27th victory, defended his championship belt and proved to all critics, especially his talkative opponent, who the real champion is.
Tough as it is
Trash and fuss. Three crazy bets on the Khabib - Conor fight
A fight where you can make good money.
Your disobedient servant warned in pre-match forecasts that we should expect a scandal. And it happened, and what kind of one. Immediately after the end of the fight, Khabib began actively pointing his finger at someone (most likely, it was McGregor’s jiu-jitsu coach Dillon Danis), then he abruptly jumped over the Octagon perimeter and entered into a brawl, as a result of which he landed several blows, while skipping on a tangent myself. The video shows how security forces are trying to keep Nurmagomedov in a cage, but in vain. He jumps with his knee into the crowd, where a fight begins.
While the attention of the fans was focused on what was happening outside the perimeter of the cage, another Russian fighter Zubaira Tukhugov found himself in the octagon, who acted as Khabib’s second along with Islam Makhachev. Zubaira dealt several blows to Conor, and another representative of Khabib’s team (or a fan, he’s wearing a red jersey in the video), jumped over the Octagon and hit the Irishman on the sly. After which there was a huge crowd of people in the octagon and random clashes between fans began.
Only after the police surrounded the perimeter of the cell did passions subside. However, UFC President Dana White, in order not to provoke an even bigger scandal, refused to award the championship belt to Khabib. "Where's my belt?" - asked Khabib. “I can’t give it to you here and now, you understand that this will cause an even bigger scandal in the stands,” White answered.
UFC 229: Khabib forced Conor to surrender. How it was
After defeating McGregor, Nurmagomedov staged a massive brawl inside and outside the cage. Scandal in Las Vegas.
McGregor left the hall in a tight circle of escort. An army of thousands of fans from Ireland supported him and booed Khabib. The Russian left the arena a few minutes later. Also in a tight cordon, he proceeded to the room under the stands. Empty bottles and other objects were flying after Nurmagomedov. As a result, ring announcer Bruce Buffer was forced to announce the winner (for the first time in UFC history) without his personal presence in the cage.
Who is to blame for what happened will be sorted out. Sanctions will definitely be applied to the Russian fighter. After all, it was Khabib who was the first to leave the cage perimeter and provoke a brawl. The degree of guilt of all other participants in this massacre, as they say, will be established by the investigation. My heart senses that we are on the eve of a grandiose show. This means that the story called Khabib - Conor is still just beginning.
Left - crown, right - funeral
As part of the preliminary fights, their next battles carried out by Russian fighters Yana Kunitskaya and Alexander Volkov. The Russian woman, who was fighting her second fight within the UFC, finally managed to win - over the Swedish athlete Lina Lensberg by unanimous decision (30-27).
“On the ground, Khabib will make a chop out of McGregor”
State Duma deputy, Ukrainian football player with ultra-left views, world champion in athletics are rooting for Khabib today. What about you?
Russian heavyweight Alexander Volkov interrupted his unbeaten streak in the UFC in a fight with American Derrick Lewis, suffering his first defeat in strongest league peace. Defeat can be qualified as “lost to yourself.” Having a clear advantage throughout the fight, the Russian missed a streak at the end of the third round and lost by knockout. Lewis patiently endured all the hardships of being in the octagon, missing three times as many punches in each round as he delivered himself. The American demonstrated tremendous resilience and waited for his finest hour, which came at the very end of what seemed to be a hopelessly lost battle. A quick two - left side, right straight - crashed into the Russian’s jaw, and he collapsed on the canvas, where he was overtaken by several heavy blows from his opponent. Referee Herb Dean was forced to intervene in the match, stopping the fight 11 seconds before its end. Thoughts on title fight worth postponing.
Babai is ok
The co-main fight of UFC 229 was a confrontation between top American lightweights: 34-year-old Tony Ferguson (24-3) and 31-year-old Anthony Pettis (21-8). Ferguson, who has been among the contenders for the title for quite a long time, once again confirmed his reputation as a high-class fighter who is ready to storm the title. His confrontation with Pettis was a sight for sore eyes.
After a relatively calm opening round, in which Ferguson dominated his opponent, the fighters produced an absolutely stunning second segment, which was full of drama. First, Pettis shocked Babai, forcing him to literally survive. Having missed, Ferguson attempted a rescue. Thanks to his incredible acrobatic somersaults, he managed to leave the line of attack and subsequently pin his opponent on the ground. Tony quickly came to his senses and, when the fighters stood up again, he gave Pettis a real bloodbath.
“If I found myself on the plane with Khabib and Conor, I would tell my son to figure it out”
Khabib Nurmagomedov's father held a fiery press conference in Makhachkala before the fight.
Ferguson got involved in serial work, interrupting his opponent on the floors. Babai hit multi-hit series, threw the favorite Superman punch from the net, and with each subsequent hit, Pettis’s face looked more and more like a bloody mask. The result of the work of the “artist” Ferguson was assessed by the third person in the octagon perimeter - the referee; he was forced to intervene in the course of the fight, interrupt it and invite the doctor into the cage. The doctor, having examined Pettis's cut, allowed him to continue the meeting. The fighters continued to work on a collision course, exchanging dense hits, in which Tony was more accurate. He managed not only to survive and recover from the missed blow, but also to take the round. Already in the pause between the second and third rounds, Pettis’s corner announced the impossibility of continuing the fight (Ferguson was awarded a TKO victory), and the fighter himself admitted in a post-match interview that he had broken his hand.
Now El Cucuy is the main contender for the fight with Khabib. The fighters were supposed to cross paths back in April 2017, but then the Russian was forced to withdraw from the fight. Due to grueling weight loss, Khabib lost his health and ended up in the hospital. Now everything can grow together.
Who is El Cucuy?
Tony Ferguson was born in South Carolina to Mexican parents. After his wrestling career ended, he worked as a bartender in college. The boss asked him to train young MMA fighters in wrestling, and he got involved. The first fight according to amateur rules was completed in 24 seconds. At first he acted simply - he took him to the ground and choked or finished him there, but gradually he improved his striking technique and began to fight more spectacularly. In 2011, he became the PureCombat champion, and then confidently won The Ultimate Fighter 13, defeating all his opponents ahead of schedule. His only defeat in the UFC came from the fast striker Michael Johnson, but two years ago he began to improve sharply and crushed top-ranked Edson Barboza, Josh Thomson, ex-champion Rafael dos Anjos, strangled Kevin Lee and dealt with Pettis.
Khabib Nurmagomedov approached the fight as a favorite for several reasons: the lack of a break in performances, which his counterpart had, zero in the “Defeats” column, as well as a style that was extremely inconvenient for his opponent.
According to heavyweight fighter Alexei Oleinik, the fight ended exactly as he expected.
“Conor couldn’t do anything in the first round, Khabib simply tortured him and weakened him. It’s like this with any striker - if you don’t allow him to do anything at the beginning of the fight, later he becomes less dangerous,” Sport-Express quotes Oleinik.
Alexey Kunchenko, who made his UFC debut with a victory in the first Russian tournament in promotion history. He admitted that with Nurmagomedov’s correct actions at the end of the fight, McGregor should have looked noticeably tired.
“It happened even earlier, around the third round. And then Khabib finished the fight beautifully and ahead of schedule. It was nice to see that our fighter won. He’s a great guy, we’re proud of him,” the Championship quotes Kunchenko.
At the same time, the athlete expressed confidence that another fight between Nurmagomedov and McGregor will not take place.
“There will be no revenge. Khabib won unconditionally and ahead of schedule. It can only take place because of the financial component, but I don’t think Nurmagomedov needs this money. It would make sense if the fight ended in a judge's decision. Conor has already passed the stage, the Russian has put a big, fat point in this confrontation,” concluded Kunchenko.
At the same time, UFC Grand Prix winner Oleg Taktarov expressed the opinion that McGregor had chances to finish the fight in his favor, but the Irishman failed to take advantage of them.
“There was a valid moment when Khabib walked with his jaw raised. Then there was a chance. But, apparently, Nurmagomedov felt something, some kind of confidence. In the final movement, what was laid down in childhood worked. When Conor began to turn his back, I already knew that he would be strangled. Doing something like this at the end of a fight is a very energy-intensive thing,” Sport24 quotes Taktarov.
According to the athlete, his departure into boxing played a key role in McGregor’s defeat.
“If you paid attention, Fedor Emelianenko acted in a movie - then he lost, Ronda Rousey did the same - she was defeated. The transition to boxing takes away a wrestler’s breathing capacity, and it is very difficult to restore it,” the athlete noted.
But, sadly, the main topic of discussion was not the results of the fight, but the behavior of Nurmagomedov and his team after the end of the fight. So, Khabib climbed over the cage and started a fight with McGregor's wrestling coach Dillan Danis, and three members of his camp broke into the cage and attacked Conor.
Oleinik admitted that he “was ashamed of his behavior Russian athletes” at the end of the UFC 229 main event.
- Highlights of the Nurmagomedov-McGregor fight
“Now this is being discussed more than the fight itself. What happened puts us in a negative light,” Oleynik said.
He also noted that the UFC was upset by the behavior of the Russian champion.
“Khabib’s action overshadowed the positive ending. As a rule, after a fight, especially a victorious one, they don’t do that,” the heavyweight added.
Legendary boxer Mike Tyson, who knows firsthand about such cases, also shared his impressions of the incident. So, one of his fights with Evander Holyfield ended mass brawl fans.
“I watched the McGregor-Nurmagomedov fight. This is simply incredible. I never thought something like this would happen. This is crazier than what happened after my fight,” the boxer wrote on his Twitter page.
Famous British boxer Tony Bellew also criticized Nurmagomedov’s entourage. Future opponent absolute champion world Alexander Usik is sure that the attack on McGregor after the fight is a blatant act.
“Regardless of what it said, two men with bare arms had no right to attack a man who had just fought for 20 minutes. One of them also attacked from behind. Khabib won and humiliated Conor. Is this really not enough? There is only one side to blame for what happened after that - Nurmagomedov,” Bellew wrote on Twitter.
Milky Kava, manager of legendary UFC fighter Jon Jones, shares a similar opinion.
“You can say whatever you want about Conor. But he is always humble, no matter whether he wins or loses. He stood calmly while representatives of Khabib's team sneaked into the cage and attacked him. It was crazy,” says Kawa.
His teammate Daniel Cormier came to the defense of Nurmagomedov himself, who was one of the first to try to calm Khabib down after the brawl outside the octagon.
“Guys, when people are wrong, you can’t talk about who did the right thing. Conor didn't deserve this. But there are things that cannot be used to fuel interest in a fight. Religion, family, country, bus attack in Brooklyn. For Khabib, all this was not advertising the fight; he took it as a personal insult. We're just talking about people of different cultures. It’s a pity,” the UFC champion in two weight categories expressed his opinion.
As Bellator fighter Patricio Freire noted, what happened after the fight does not change the fact that Nurmagomedov had an amazing fight.
“You can’t deny that Khabib proved that he was not worth doubting. Conor fought well, both were real monsters. But Nurmagomedov turned out to be stronger,” the athlete said.
