When Khabib Nurmagomedov accused referee Herb Dean for letting McGregor ‘Cheat’ at UFC 229

Just a year after defeating Conor McGregor at UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov met veteran referee Herb Dean and jokingly pulled his leg. The Eagle asked Dean how much he was paid to let Conor McGregor cheat during their grudge match, which went on to become the biggest fight in MMA history in terms of PPV sales. Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is now retired, retained his lightweight title by submitting Conor McGregor in the fourth round.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor had a very unpleasant build-up as the two fighters and their teammates traded some harsh words on social media and in public, leading to the infamous dolly incident. Not just that, the feud between the two sides escalated even further after Khabib Nurmagomedov leapt over the cage after the UFC 229 fight and attacked McGregor’s team, starting a huge brawl. Because of this, the two men received some hefty fines and suspensions.

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While McGregor was soundly beaten at the main event, he was able to take a round away from The Eagle, which was never done in the past. However, many Khabib Nurmagomedov fans claim that The Notorious One won the round only because he used some illegal moves during the fight. Conor McGregor grabbed the fence on multiple occasions and even tried to land illegal '12-6' elbows on his opponent.

The fact that Khabib Nurmagomedov won and went on to joke about McGregor’s illegal moves proves that The Eagle has forgiven the veteran referee. Nurmagomedov met Herb Dean at a UFC event in 2019, where the two talked about the UFC 229 fight and laughed off the controversies.

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McGregor cheating: Khabib Nurmagomedov accuses Herb Dean

In the video posted by Khabib’s coach Javier Mendez, the Eagle and his late father, Abdulmanap, who died in July last year, can be seen teasing the respected official, with Nurmagomedov looking at the camera and asking Mendez, “Coach, how much do you think they paid him (Herb Dean)?” His coach replies, “I don’t know; Herb, how much?” To which Dean responds, “I was trying to do a good job”.

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Before announcing his retirement in October 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov cemented his reputation as the best lightweight of all time as he was undefeated throughout his MMA career. After, Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, taking his record to 29-0 and becoming the UFC pound-for-pound king in the process.

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Image Source: AP