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Khabib Nurmagomedov Finally Reveals Why He Attacked McGregor's Cornerman at UFC 229

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It was a bizarre and chaotic scene at the end of the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in Las Vegas last October.

Nurmagomedov had just beaten McGregor as the final seconds of the fourth round ticked down. The Russian went back to his corner to celebrate, but along the way he started jawing with members of McGregor’s team.

The next thing you know, Nurmagomedov jumped over the wall of the octagon and went after one of McGregor’s cornermen, Dillon Danis.



This week, in an interview with by Australia’s “Submission Radio,” Nurmagomedov explained why he went after Dillon.

He said it wasn’t anything Dillon said during or after the fight. Rather, it stemmed from a longer-term feud, he said.

And Nurmagomedov said the reason he went after Dillon particularly was that the other guys in McGregor’s corner were too old.



“No, I didn’t hear him, you know,” Nurmagomedov said. “I jumped on him because other corner is too old — because Conor’s other corner, other coaches, too old, and that’s why I jumped on him, because he’s almost like my age.

“If I jumped on (coach John) Kavanagh, I don’t think it’s too — cause Kavanagh can’t fight me. That’s why I jumped on him. But when I fight, I didn’t hear him, it was too loud.

“But I don’t like his whole team. I have choice what I’m gonna do, but all other old coaches were too old for me. They cannot fight with me. They’re almost like my father’s age. That’s why I jump on him.”

Nurmagomedov (27-0 MMA, 11-0 UFC) currently holds the UFC lightweight title.

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McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC), the former lightweight champion, is the second-ranked contender.

Nurmagomedov is set to meet with the Nevada Athletic Commission on Tuesday to determine whether he will be sanctioned for the postfight melee, MMA Fighting reported.

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Dave is a lifelong sports fan who has been writing for The Wildcard since 2017. He has been a writer for more than 20 years for a variety of publications.
Dave has been writing about sports for The Wildcard since 2017. He's been a reporter and editor for over 20 years, covering everything from sports to financial news. In addition to writing for The Wildcard, Dave has covered mutual funds for Pensions and Investments, meetings and conventions, money market funds, personal finance, associations, and he currently covers financial regulations and the energy sector for Macallan Communications. He has won awards for both news and sports reporting.
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