Surprising detail from Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor brawl surfaces as coach makes admission

Khabib Nurmagomedov's coach talks about what 'The Eagle' thought about before jumping toward Conor McGregor's team at UFC 229.

Surprising detail from Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor brawl surfaces as coach makes admission

Khabib Nurmagomedov particularly chose to attack Dillon Danis after the Conor McGregor fight (via X)

There is no bigger rivalry in modern MMA than Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Conor McGregor, filled with overwhelming personal animosity. Both UFC superstars despised each other, fueling tensions through brutal insults and escalating incidents outside the cage. At UFC 229, the long-awaited clash occurred, and Nurmagomedov dominated the fight. The hatred still looms large, but not to everyone.

After the victory, Nurmagomedov leaped over the cage, attacking McGregor’s team, which erupted into a chaotic post-fight brawl and controversy. The Dagestani particularly targeted McGregor’s BJJ coach Dillon Danis, who had tried to provoke him. In a recent interview, Nurmagomedov’s coach, Javier Mendez, talked about what went behind the scenes. 

I never asked him, why he did that until a couple of years after. I said, ‘Khabib, why did you go after Dillon Danis?’ He goes, ‘Well coach, his head coach was too old and it would be disrespectful. So I had to go after Dillon. He was more my age.’ So I said, ‘Ah, it was respect.’ Even in his anger, he went after Dillon. He thought he couldn’t touch the coach.

Javier Mendez via What they don’t tell us podcast 

Nurmagomedov had claimed that Danis insulted his religion, reportedly calling him a “Muslim s**t,” which deeply enraged the Dagestani fighter. Danis strongly denied these accusations but agreed to trash-talk Nurmagomedov in order to make him lose focus. He also mentioned that during the brawl, ‘The Eagle’ didn’t land a single clean shot as he successfully defended himself.

Despite the win, Dana White didn’t give Nurmagomedov the belt in the cage, fearing riots from the crowd. The Dagestani star later apologized, explaining he was provoked by insults targeting his religion, country, and family, which led to his emotional reaction. Many fighters criticized the event, blaming both camps for the chaos, warning that personal insults could spiral out of control.

Following the brawl, Nurmagomedov was fined $500,000 and suspended for nine months for jumping the cage and attacking McGregor’s team. ‘The Notorious’ received a $50,000 fine and a six-month suspension for throwing punches during the chaotic post-fight brawl in Las Vegas. Danis was also fined $7,500 and suspended for seven months, though this helped him gain more recognition. 

UFC veteran talks about Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor 

Khabib Nurmagomedov rose to the top of in UFC by dominating his opponents with relentless wrestling and pressure. Leading up to UFC 229, he called out Conor McGregor, claiming the Irishman avoided him and was not a true champion. He described McGregor as a “number one easy fight,” saying he could out-wrestle him with ease and bring him down.

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor (via X)

McGregor came off a high-profile boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, where he made his professional debut in boxing. Despite losing by TKO in the tenth round, McGregor earned millions and established himself as a global superstar. According to veteran commentator Joe Rogan, that was the biggest reason for McGregor’s bad performance against Nurmagomedov.

Conor was so f**** good on his feet back then. Conor McGregor, who beat Eddie Alavrez, vs Khabib, would’ve been a completely different fight. This is post-Floyd Mayweather. You’re getting ready for a boxing match with one of the all-time greats, you gotta take six months when you’re not doing any leg kicks, no nothing, all you’re doing is boxing.

Joe Rogan via JRE Fight Companion 

After his boxing match with Mayweather, McGregor adopted a new boxing-centric style, which made him slower. McGregor’s downfall soon followed, losing multiple fights as opponents exploited his weaknesses, especially his lack of cardio. This shift led to a less versatile approach in MMA, and he suffered against top opponents like Dustin Poirier.

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