"This makes me feel empty" - Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals what he felt when Conor McGregor told him 'it's only business' during their UFC 229 fight
Khabib Nurmagomedov recently opened up about how he felt when he defended his UFC lightweight title against Conor McGregor at UFC 229. According to 'The Eagle,' he was more disappointed with the Irishman's performance than anything else.
As a guest on an episode of Hotboxin' With Mike Tyson, the former UFC lightweight kingpin revealed that he felt "empty" when McGregor told him that everything that was said and done in the lead-up to the fight was "only business."
"When fight time comes, someone has to show spirit and heart," Nurmagomedov said. "But when the fight came, I was preparing so hard. When the time came and [we're] inside the cage, when he said this to me, I talked to him like crazy and he gave back to me like, 'Hey, it's only business.' And I was, like, when my father goes crazy with me, I tried to make him stop, you know. And I, like, find some excuses."
Khabib added that he was dismayed by McGregor's inability to match the intensity he brought. The Dagestani UFC icon said:
"And I was like, 'What? I was preparing for these things.' I was preparing for war and when I come here, I don't fight the opponent? This makes me feel empty."
"I was expecting more and when I go to talk to him, he gives me this excuse. 'This is only business.' Okay when I caught his neck and I choked him, he tapped. And I thought, 'Hey, you brought thousands of people from Ireland here from different parts of the world and you tap in front of them? And you talk about [being] a warrior?"
Watch Khabib Nurmagmoedov's full interview:
Evidently, Khabib Nurmagomedov took Conor McGregor's antics personally. Mayhem broke out when 'The Eagle' and his cornermen attacked the Irishman and his crew in the aftermath of UFC 229.
Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov's rivalry
On top of being the highest-selling UFC pay-per-view of all time, Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov is also one of the most intense rivalries in the promotion's history.
The feud began when McGregor and a bunch of his teammates invaded a press event to send a message to his rival. The Irishman hurled a steel dolly through the window of a bus carrying Khabib and several other UFC fighters.
Since then, the pair of UFC lightweight superstars have been bitter enemies. When they finally met inside the octagon at UFC 229, Khabib prevailed with relative ease.