'Conor McGregor begged me not to kill him': Khabib Nurmagomedov on their UFC 229 bout

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov disclosed that Conor McGregor 'begged' him not to kill him during their blockbuster showdown at UFC 229. The McGregor vs Khabib fight ended in the fourth round of their super-fight after the Russian locked McGregor in a rear-naked chokehold and successfully retained his championship. Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov shared a heated build-up before their bout with Khabib now hinting that the tensions with the Irishman have only just begun to cool down.  

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McGregor vs Khabib: Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why Conor McGregor doesn't deserve a rematch

While speaking to reporters from ESPN ahead of his fight against Dustin Poirier in 2019, Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed that Conor McGregor begged for mercy when the two of them shared the Octagon. Khabib Nurmagomedov was asked about a potential rematch with Conor McGregor in the future but rejected any possibility of facing McGregor again. "When we were in the Octagon, he begged me not to kill him. He tapped, so he doesn't deserve a rematch", said the Dagestani fighter.

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UFC 229 highlights: McGregor vs Khabib

In October 2018, at the T-Mobile Arena, the stage was set for the highly-anticipated Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov super-fight. The latter dominated the majority of the fight and appeared at ease on the big stage despite an ill-tempered buildup. In the fourth round of the fight, McGregor tapped after Khabib locked in a rear-naked chokehold. After the fight, members of both camps jumped inside the Octagon and were involved in a massive brawl. Nurmagomedov picked up a nine-month ban from the sport after he jumped out of the cage and had a skirmish with one of McGregor's teammates. 

With the win over McGregor, Khabib took his undefeated streak to 27 wins and 0 losses. Following the UFC 229 bout, McGregor and Khabib continued to exchange verbal blows on social media. Later that year, Khabib's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, spoke to TMZ and stated that McGregor will have to 'get on his knees and beg for a rematch.' However, McGregor shocked the UFC world when he announced his retirement from the sport in April 2019.

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Conor McGregor UFC return

Despite announcing his retirement for the second time in April 2019, McGregor returned to the Octagon in January 2020 and defeated Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds at UFC 246. McGregor initially vowed to fight at least there times in 2020 but his plans were hampered by the coronavirus pandemic. In June, McGregor announced his third retirement from the sport, citing that he was no longer enjoying his fighting. Earlier this month, UFC president Dana White confirmed that Conor McGregor will not return to the UFC until the end of 2020 at least. 

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Image Credits - AP