Conor McGregor is on the brink of INSANITY - Khabib team-mate slams Mac ahead of UFC 229
CONOR MCGREGOR’s antics at the UFC 229 pre-fight press conference were over the top and bordering on ‘insanity’, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s American Kickboxing Academy team-mate Luke Rockhold believes.
McGregor and Nurmagomedov took part in one of the most heated press events in UFC history last month, which drew in millions of viewers.
McGregor was his usual brash self, insulting his upcoming opponent on numerous occasions and predicting yet another knockout victory.
However, unlike previous press conferences, the Irishman brought up Nurmagomedov’s family, the geopolitical tensions between Chechnya and the Russian’s home region of Dagestan and his foe’s relationship with Ziyavudin Magamadov, who was imprisoned by Vladimir Putin for allegedly embezzling money and setting up an organised crime firm.
While McGregor’s latest mind games thrilled his legion of fans, they also saw him draw his fair share of critics, with Rockhold being one of them.
"I watched a bit of it on my drive to practice. It is what it is,” Rockhold told Submission Radio. “I think there’s obviously somewhat of a communication barrier, but Khabib gets his point across.
“He’s composed. You can see his demeanor. I know where he’s at.
“Conor’s - Conor. He’s selling it, man. He’s on the brink of insanity and it’s f**king awesome.”
Rockhold foresees his AKA team-mate making McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon an unhappy one, adding: “We all know Khabib can do his thing.
"He’s 26-0 now. I mean, that’s an unheard of thing. The guy’s never lost. Conor’s lost multiple times. Khabib is dangerous. Anybody can lose, but we’ll see what happens.
“If Khabib gets a hold of him, it’s a different world. You can’t tussle with somebody who’s grappled like that his whole life.
He’s on the brink of insanity and it’s f**king awesome
"I’ve grappled with a lot of 155-pounders in the world and not one, not one can give me the go that Khabib has.”
“I mean, I play with 155-pounders. Khabib is a real go and there’s absolutely no quit in him. He will go to the bitter end. He will go to his death. He has to.
“I’ve taken him as far as I can ever believe and he just keeps coming. The guy does not, he will not tap to anything. He’s a true fighter.”
McGregor and Nurmagomedov will do battle with one another in the main event of UFC 229, which takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Conor McGregor vs Khabib: UFC 229 live stream, fight card, and start time details
UFC 229 Fight Card
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor (lightweight title fight)
Tony Ferguson vs Anthony Pettis (lightweight bout)
Ovince Saint Preux vs Dominick Reyes (light-heavyweight bout)
Derrick Lewis vs Alexander Volkov (heavyweight bout)
Michelle Waterson vs Felice Herring (women’s strawweight bout)
Prelims
Sergio Pettis vs Jussier Formica (men’s flyweight bout)
Scott Holtzman vs Alan Patrick (lightweight bout)
Ryan LaFlare vs Tony Martin (welterweight bout)
Lina Lansberg vs Yana Kunitskaya (women’s bantamweight bout)
Gray Maynard vs Nik Lentz (lightweight bout)
Aspen Ladd vs Tonya Evinger (women's bantamweight bout)