UFC 223: Khabib Nurmagomedov responds to rival Conor McGregor after bus attack
- Published
Russian shrugs off last night’s incident, while other fighters have their say
Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t seem too rattled after Conor McGregor and his entourage allegedly attacked the bus he was travelling in with a metal trolley and bins, smashing a window in the process.
The attack was seemingly focused on the Russian fighter, who has had an on-going feud with McGregor since 2015.
“I am laughing inside,” Nurmagomedov said after the incident. “You broke a window? Why? Come inside. You know the UFC don’t let you come inside. If you are a real gangster, why don’t you come inside?
Other fighters on the bus, including Michael Chiesa and Roy Borg, have since been removed from the UFC event on Saturday after sustaining injuries during the attack, whilst Nurmagomedov walked away unscathed.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
“I grew up like this, but I didn’t grow up throwing chairs at windows.” Nurmagomedov said. “This is not my bus. I’ll give his whole team a slap and no one will say anything, but he comes with media, with cameras, when I’m alone. Of course I wanted to go outside, but they didn’t let me leave the bus. He knows this.”
McGregor was still in police custody early on Friday, and has been charged with three counts of assault with one count of criminal mischief by the NYPD. But Nurmagomedov doesn’t want to see him go to prison.
Conor McGregor
“To be honest, I don’t want him to go to jail,” he said. “We have to fight. If we have to fight, let’s fight. Send me a location. Please, we have to fix this. Me and you. One-on-one. You want 10-on-10? OK.”
UFC light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier had similar thoughts when considering an unorthodox punishment for McGregor’s actions.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
But this wasn’t the first time both fighters clashed heads.
Nurmagomedov and McGregor originally faced off backstage ahead of UFC 205 in 2016, where security had to separate the fighters from an altercation that ended with both fighters shouting, “we will see.”
After ploughing through his opponent at UFC 205, the Russian fighter from Dagestan went on to direct his focus, external solely on McGregor.
"At the start of the year (2016) your guy tapped like a chicken (to Nate Diaz), now he has a title shot. It's crazy,” he said. "Ireland has only six million people, Russia has 150 million. I want to fight your chicken! Let's go with your chicken."
Nurmagomedov went on to promote the idea that McGregor was scared to face him during his year-and-a-half stint away from MMA, and the pair exchanged words on social media before colliding with each other in Brooklyn.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
UFC president Dana White brandished McGregor’s alleged actions this week as “disgusting,” leaving the door open to whether he’ll be allowed to return the UFC in the future, let alone fight Nurmagomedov in the octagon.
Fighters from across the UFC shared have similar thoughts about the former featherweight and lightweight champion, including former lightweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Some fighters couldn’t miss the opportunity for a wisecrack - here’s heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic’s analysis of the incident, along with light-heavyweight Alex Nicholson’s views.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
Whilst others, such as former fighter and BBC MMA Show host, Dan Hardy, led us to believe that perhaps the whole thing may have been a PR stunt to sell McGregor v Nurmagomedov later this year.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The NYPD told BBC Sport that McGregor turned himself into the police on Thursday night. He is expected to appear before a judge later on Friday.
This article was originally published on 6 April 2018.
WANT MORE?
New York police 'want to contact' Conor McGregor after havoc at media event
Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s weight cut won’t get in the way again at UFC 223
