Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t like to offer his largest profession combat an excessive amount of thought in 2024.
The Nurmagomedov-Conor McGregor rivalry was — and from McGregor’s facet nonetheless is — probably the most unstable in blended martial arts (MMA) historical past. Sadly for “The Infamous,” it was a tough evening out and in of the workplace.
Nurmagomedov efficiently made his first Final Combating Championship (UFC) Light-weight title protection at UFC 229 in opposition to McGregor in October 2018. Nonetheless, the fourth spherical neck crank was solely the start of the true insanity as a chaotic brawl broke out between the groups afterward when Nurmagomedov attacked the Irishman’s nook.
“It was a really emotional time, however on the similar time, it was my feeling — I actually wished to chunk somebody’s coronary heart,” Nurmagomedov mentioned on the Encourage Me podcast (h/t MMA Combating). “Do you’ve gotten that feeling in your life? I simply tried to chunk his coronary heart.
“Possibly you possibly can really feel this,” he concluded. “I’m ‘The Eagle,’ and when the eagle is hungry, it’s not good. He has to hunt. That’s why.”
The top of UFC 229 was the place issues left off in Nurmagomedov’s guide. McGregor has thrown a number of verbal jabs again on the Russian since to no response. Whereas the fee and promotion didn’t benefit from the chaos that ensued, Nurmagomedov knew it was a chance from the beginning.
“When the promotion promotes this combat, they must count on one thing,” Nurmagomedov mentioned. “Once they know me, once they know all my group, once they know we don’t play. We compete, we don’t play. You can not play MMA. You’ll be able to play soccer. You’ll be able to play American soccer, you possibly can play hockey. However you can’t play MMA. It’s a must to combat. It is a preventing recreation.
“Lots of people mentioned it was a really unusual or bizarre or one thing like this, nevertheless it was my choice,” he concluded.
