When it comes to legendary MMA rivalries, few can match the heat between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. The two men, both icons in their own right, clashed at UFC 229 in October 2018, a night that delivered fireworks inside and outside the cage.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Coach Talks Conor McGregor
Khabib Nurmagomedov, a Russian-Dagestani fighter who retired undefeated at 29-0 and held the UFC Lightweight Championship, was known for his grappling and calm demeanor. McGregor, the Irish-born superstar, made history as the first UFC fighter to hold two belts simultaneously and drew crowds with his sharp tongue and knockout power.
The build-up to their fight was anything but polite. Conor McGregor, never shy with words, took his trash talk to new levels, targeting not just Khabib Nurmagomedov but also his family, religion, and country. This didn’t sit well with Khabib’s coach, Javier Mendez, who recently didn’t mince words about McGregor’s approach.
“You want to talk about a fighter, go ahead, free game. But you talked about religion, you talked about family, you talked about country. I don’t respect fighters who do that,” Mendez said, in an interview with Mike Perry, making it clear that some lines shouldn’t be crossed.
Khabib won the match, eventually forcing McGregor to tap out in the fourth round with a face crank, a move that left no doubt about who was the better man that night. The aftermath was chaotic, with Khabib leaping over the cage to confront McGregor’s team, sparking a brawl that made as many headlines as the fight itself.
According to Mendez, that night changed McGregor. “He hasn’t been the same after that loss with Khabib. He went down,” Mendez said, echoing what many in the MMA world have observed. Before facing Khabib, McGregor was on top of the world, having knocked out legends and collected belts. After the loss, his career has been rocky: a quick win over Donald Cerrone, but then back-to-back losses and a serious leg injury against Dustin Poirier that’s kept him out of the cage for years.
Meanwhile, Khabib Nurmagomedov retired undefeated and has since become a coach and promoter. So, while McGregor remains a massive draw and still talks a big game, his old spark has dimmed since that night in Las Vegas. As for Mendez and Team Khabib, they’re not exactly sending McGregor any holiday cards.
