Why Khabib Nurmagomedov Said Beating Conor McGregor Was Like a ‘Vacation’ – “Moment to Enjoy”
UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has explained what it felt like to batter and defeat Conor McGregor in their iconic clash back at UFC 229.
Back in late 2018, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor finally squared off in a fight that had been building for a good few years. Khabib made it known for a long time that he was interested in facing the Irishman, whereas McGregor wasn’t really active in mixed martial arts in the wake of his big win at UFC 205. Instead, he opted to venture into the world of professional boxing, where he collided with Floyd Mayweather.
Heading into the fight, many felt as if Khabib Nurmagomedov had a good chance of toppling McGregor. In the end, few could’ve imagined that it would be quite so one-sided – perhaps outside of the third round. Not only did Khabib dominate and submit Conor, but he was also able to drop him before unleashing some vicious ground and pound that nearly got the former champion out of there.
In a recent interview, Khabib Nurmagomedov sat down and opened up on what exactly it felt like to finally put that rivalry to bed in emphatic fashion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s view on iconic Conor McGregor win
“One thing is really, really beautiful in this world: When you don’t like somebody, you go inside the cage, you smash him, and they give you money,” Nurmagomedov said of McGregor in a media event in Chicago (h/t S Khalil). “Outside of the cage, if you do this, you go to jail. I was waiting for this moment for so long. I could not only fight, but also talk to him. I used that moment to enjoy – the way like you go to Maldives. It was my vacation.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
Khabib would go on to defeat Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje before finally making the decision to hang up his gloves once and for all. This weekend, he will be there to watch Islam Makhachev attempt to become a two-weight world champion when he challenges Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC welterweight title in the main event of UFC 322.
