Khabib Nurmagomedov led to one of the most controversial moments in the MMA history after UFC 229.
'The Eagle' has submitted Conor McGregor to defend its lightweight belt and to arrange their bitter feud in October 2018.
Khabib Nurmagomedov celebrated, however, by jumping out of the cage and attacking Dillon Danis to start the ugliest fight after the fight that the UFC has ever seen.
Seven years later, the coach of the Russian legend claimed that 'respect' was paramount in the spirit of his steriling when he tried to attack the teammate of Conor McGregor.
Photo by Harry How/Getty Images
Reason Khabib Nurmagomedov attacked Dillon Danis
Renowned MMA coach Javier Mendez did not ask Khabib Nurmagomedov to explain his actions after the fight on UFC 229 until years later.
When he did, the founder of the American Kickboxing Academy was told that the attack on Danis was born out of respect for his elderly people, who stopped him behind McGregor's head coach, John Kavanagh.
“Believe it or not, I never asked him why he did that until a few years later,” Mendez recently revealed at the “Tracy Harmoush: what they don't tell us podcast.”
“I said,” Khabib, why did you go after Dillon Danis? ” He goes: 'Well, his head coach was too old and it would be disrespectful.
“So I said:” Ah, it was respect. “Even in his anger he went after Dillon. He could not touch the coach, he had to go behind the young person and that was Dillon Danis.
“Dillon was anyway the one who spoke the most stuff. He was passing on the whole fight anyway. You know, he did that because the coach is too old and he could not attack him, so he went after the second.”
Will Khabib Nurmagomedov ever fight again?
Khabib Nurmagomedov withdrew after choking Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020.
A few years later he is generally considered one of the best coaches in MMA after he has helped hunters to win titles in the UFC, Bellator and PFL.
Nevertheless, the 36-year-old is forced to tackle rumors about a potential return to the UFC agent corner.
“There is no chance, none. Even 1 percent, minus minus [chance]”Said Nurmagomedov in October 2024.
“If you need champions, I help my brothers to become champions … We have Islam [Makhachev] As champion we have Umar [Nurmagomedov] As the next competition we have Usman [Nurmagomedov] As a champion – we have many champions.
“You will never miss me, because in our team and our gym we make champions – you will always have champions, don't worry.”