Since their UFC 229 meeting in 2018, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor‘s lives have gone in completely different directions.
Inside the Octagon, The Eagle went on to successfully defend his title two more times before retiring, while on the flip side, McGregor went 1-2 over his remaining three bouts, defeating Donald Cerrone before suffering back-to-back losses at the hands of Dustin Poirier.
Outside of the Octagon, Nurmagomedov has continued his father’s legacy, coaching the next generation of Dagestani fighters, while McGregor has jumped into an ownership role with BKFC and, perhaps more notably, dealt with a slew of legal controversies.
During a recent interview with Adam Zubayraev released on Tuesday, the Hall of Famer was asked about the quote, “chaos,” that follows McGregor, and whether the former champ champ “deserves it.”:
“I don’t even know. Honestly, I just don’t care. Sometimes I’ll see a headline or something, and I’ll glance at it, but overall, I really don’t care whether he deserves it or not.
“If you live that kind of life, it doesn’t matter who you are; you’re bound to get into trouble. That kind of lifestyle, constantly drinking, it always leads to problems when you’re hitting clubs and all that.”
Khabib Reflects on UFC 229 Fight With McGregor
While Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t care to keep up with the latest news surrounding Conor McGregor, their respective careers are forever intertwined thanks to their UFC 229 showdown.
Leading up to the fight, McGregor infamously crossed the line with Nurmagomedov and his team, taking personal jabs at The Eagle with his signature brand of mental warfare.
As The Eagle recalled during his sit-down with Adam Zubayraev, when the two came face-to-face inside the Octagon, McGregor was forced to come to terms with the fact that his mind games didn’t work.
“I came in with a perfect psychological state. I honestly think if I had to repeat it, it would’ve been really tough [to be better prepared].
“If you watched when we entered and during the staredown before the fight, when the ref brought us in, he wasn’t even looking at me anymore. Everything he did up to that point, he realized didn’t work. Now he actually had to fight. He’d have ot rely on skills versus skills, not psychology.”
You can see the full fight below courtesy of the UFC:
Khabib Reveals Plans For New Gym in Dagestan
Since retirement, Khabib Nurmagomedov has continued his father’s legacy by giving back to the next generation of Dagestani fighters.
While Nurmagomedov’s already opened a stunning gym in Sildi, his native village, with the money he earned from beating McGregor, The Eagle isn’t done yet.
During his sitdown with Adam Zubayraev, the former champ revealed he’s also planning to open another gym right by Makhachkala Uytash Airport:
“Right on the border between Kaspiysk and Makhachkala on the Caspian Highway. … I’m going to build a big gym there and a hotel too. I’ll make the gym a bit bigger this time so if someone flies in, they’re 15 minutes from the airport. They can check in, they’ve got food, a place to sleep, a place to train, all in one spot.”
According to the former champ, he and his team are just waiting on permits to start construction.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Reacts To Conor McGregor’s Recent Controversies