NewsBite

Khabib Nurmagomedov apologised to his coach straight after UFC rampage

THE UFC champion was at his brutal best — and worst — against Conor McGregor but he was a different beast backstage.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is held back outside of the cage after fighting Conor McGregor.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is held back outside of the cage after fighting Conor McGregor.

KHABIB Nurmagomedov immediately apologised to his coach after his UFC rampage at UFC 229.

After tapping out Conor McGregor with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round, Khabib jumped the cage and unleashed on the Irishman’s team, responding to taunts from the corner.

It was reported by TMZ that Dillon Danis, a mixed martial artist who regularly trains with Conor McGregor and was in the Irish UFC star’s corner for the fight, unleashed a religious slur against Khabib. He has since denied the claim.

But in a video by Anatomy of a Fighter on YouTube, it was revealed Khabib apologised when he found his coach Javier Mendez after being escorted back to the change rooms following the melee.

“Sorry coach. This is not me, this is not me,” Khabib said.

The video shows the UFC lightweight champion’s preparation before the bout and some of the reaction after the explosive bout.

The Russian champion was relaxed before the bout, doing some wrestling practice before going out to face McGregor.

Khabib had a quiet moment with his coach where the UFC champion apologised.
Khabib had a quiet moment with his coach where the UFC champion apologised.

He was also greeted by light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and his son, who is also Daniel.

The vision shows the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree with the youngster sparring Khabib and taking him down.

Earlier in the video, Mendez said claimed the Khabib camp won the mental game against McGregor.

“We have to play the stand up game, we have to play the grappling game, we have to play it all in order to do what we need to do,” Mendez said.

“We’ve been training and we’ve been working the mental and the physical.

“I think we definitely won the mental game, we didn’t get involved with any mind games with him and that agitated him more than it got us.”

While Khabib was apologetic to his coach for the post-match antics, the Russian still got some barbs in about his Irish conquest.

“I told you guys he is a tap machine, he cannot fight for five rounds,” Khabib said as he strode into the change rooms.

KHABIB GIVEN UNBELIEVABLE OFFER

UFC 229 has been the biggest talking point in the world of sport for the past week, thanks to the ugly fallout from the main event.

Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov went toe-to-toe, but it was after the fight when the real action kicked off.

Khabib’s rampage out of the cage, along with his teammates jumping McGregor inside the cage set the UFC into meltdown.

The horrific moment captured the world’s attention and left Dana White “disgusted” as to what had unfolded.

Both fighters were handed 10-day suspensions from the UFC.

With the UFC star’s future hanging in the balance, he has revealed he has been approached for a blockbuster fight.

Khabib was brutal against McGregor — is Lesnar next?
Khabib was brutal against McGregor — is Lesnar next?

Nurmagomedov has claimed the WWE have approached him.

The world’s largest wrestling promotion has wasted no time in going after the in demand Russian and wants him to become the latest UFC star to make the switch.

He would join in the likes of Ronda Rousey and Brock Lesnar as fighters who have made the shock decision to change allegiances.

And he appeared to immediately set his sights on former UFC heavyweight king and ex-WWE Universal champion Lesnar.

Lesnar is one of the biggest drawcards in both UFC and WWE, but Nurmagomedov wants a piece of the man known as “The Beast Incarnate”.

KHABIB MEETS PUTIN

BARELY an hour after submitting Conor McGregor and sparking the wildest post-fight UFC brawl ever seen, Khabib Nurmagomedov made an interesting claim.

He said he’d already been on the phone to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who reportedly congratulated him immediately after he gave the promotion an international black eye.

The pair have now met face-to-face for the first time since the weekend’s madness in an interview on Russian TV.

Throwing out the signature hoodie, a suited-up Khabib sat with his father and was showered with praise by his President for his “worthy and convincing” triumph over the Irishman.

The 66-year-old politician sympathised with Khabib’s explosive reaction after claiming victory, which saw him launch a fly kick at McGregor’s training partner Dillon Danis.

“Anyone could have jumped (from the Octagon) in the same way,” Putin said of Khabib’s brain snap.

“If we are attacked from the outside, not only you, we could all jump in such a way … there could be hell to pay. But it’s better not to reach that stage.”

Khabib's victory: all hell breaks loose

To receive articles like this direct to your inbox, sign up for our sports newsletter here

Originally published as Khabib Nurmagomedov apologised to his coach straight after UFC rampage

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/boxing-mma/khabib-nurmagomedov-apologised-to-his-coach-straight-after-ufc-rampage/news-story/8133667d59b6250d5b8eb8d6faaa4e44