Conor McGregor on the end of brutal attack from Khabib’s dad, who's made a chilling claim
CONOR MCGREGOR was never the ruler of the lightweight division, according to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father Abdulmanap.
Conor McGregor to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229
McGregor reached the summit of the 155lbs division in November 2016 in the main event of UFC 205, where he TKO’d Eddie Alvarez to become the promotion’s first simultaneous two-weight world champion.
The Irishman’s reign as lightweight king ended in April when the UFC brass relieved him of the title, a decision which was made as a result of ‘The Notorious’’ inactivity.
That act paved the way for Nurmagomedov to claim the belt in the main event of UFC 223 and set up a blockbuster showdown between the Dagestan native and McGregor, which headlines UFC 229 on October 6.
Understandably, Nurmagomedov’s reign as lightweight champion has been questioned by many as he didn’t dethrone McGregor.
Abdulmanap believes the asterisk next to Khabib’s name is unwarranted and is adamant his son’s title reign is more legitimate than McGregor’s, which saw him register one victory in the weight class.
“I think Conor understands that he wasn’t the real champion at 155 [pounds],” Abdulmanap told Alexander Lyutikov.
“He only fought against two lightweights and one of them choked him out.
“When he took the belt, there were about six lightweights who were stronger than him.
“There are a lot of fighters who deserve a title shot more than Conor. For example, (Dustin) Poirier.
“He can keep a high pace, he tries to finish opponents. Poirier is the real contender.”
Abdulmanap, like many others, believes McGregor begrudgingly took a fight against the undefeated Nurmagomedov because of the huge payday it will bring him.
“[Conor] will not earn the same money in any other fight,” Abdulmanap said. “Of course he understands that the five-round fight against Khabib will be a nightmare for him.
“He just has the puncher’s chance, but Khabib has never been knocked down. He’s never even been wobbled.
“I think Khabib’s chin is strong enough for the lightweight and welterweight divisions.
“Physically and tactically, Khabib is stronger than Conor. Khabib has better cardio than Conor and 100 per cent Khabib has better wrestling and grappling.
“We will choke him out when we decide to do it.
“Of course, Conor’s left hand is very dangerous and he can throw the right uppercut. That’s all. Nothing else.”
McGregor, 30, hasn't set foot inside the Octagon since claiming the lightweight title in the main event of UFC 205, where he scored the biggest victory of his mixed martial arts career.
Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, hasn't fought since succeeding McGregor at the summit of the lightweight division with a unanimous decision victory over Al Iaquinta at UFC 223.