Video Reveals Conor McGregor’s Plea To Khabib Nurmagomedov As He Was Taking A Beat-Down In Their UFC 229 Fight
A video that went viral on Twitter Monday appears to show former UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor attempting to placate defending champ Khabib Nurmagomedov following the third round of their UFC 229 super fight in Las Vegas on Saturday, as the Russian was clearly dominating McGregor, even sending him to the canvas with a right hand to the jaw in the second round. The months of insults and trash-talk, mainly coming from McGregor and his camp, culminated in an all-out brawl following the Irish fighter’s defeat inside the T-Mobile Arena, as Inquisitr reported.
Most notoriously, McGregor in April attacked a bus on which Nurmagomedov and other UFC fighters were passengers, heaving a steel cargo dolly through the bus window and injuring several inside, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Somehow, according to The New York Post, McGregor was spared jail time in the assault, pleading guilty to a disorderly conduct charge and being ordered into an anger management program.
The anger management program seems to have worked as during the UFC 229 battle inside the octagon, McGregor is heard on the viral video making an effort to calm Nurmagomedov — who is better known simply as “Khabib” — by telling the Russian fighter “it’s only business,” as the referee separated the combatants after the horn ended the round, according to The Independent newspaper.
Videos also revealed that as Khabib battered McGregor in a ground-and-pound during the previous round, the Russian could be heard taunting the fallen ex-champ, telling him, “Let’s talk now,” as the Inquisitr reported in an earlier story.
Khabib was apparently responding to a pre-fight taunt from McGregor, who said, “I am going to maul him and then let’s see who’s doing the talking, let’s see who’s having a conversation in there,” according to the Daily Mail.
According to a report by Sport Bible, many UFC fans took McGregor’s statement that “it’s only business” as an apology or even a plea for mercy, with one fan on Twitter calling McGregor’s words, “Pretty emasculating and not very ‘gangster.'”
Boxer Paulie Malignaggi, who sparred with McGregor to help the UFC star prepare for his boxing super fight last year against Floyd Mayweather Jr., per the Irish Mirror, was equally unimpressed with his former sparring partner.
“The moment u realize ur mouth been signin checks ur a** can’t cash,” Malignaggi wrote of the video on Twitter. “Only a true b**** talks the way (McGregor) does N then tries 2 play nice when the a** whippin is starin him in the face.”
