UFC 229 Press Conference: Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov Swap Beards at First Explosive Meeting



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NEW YORK – The abundance of police and security has helped the UFC to ensure that fireworks are not on the agenda of the UFC press conference 229, just like Dana White's insistence on banning access to the public.

Fortunately for MMA fans who watch live, Conor McGregor has provided more than enough verbal characters in the highly anticipated first face-to-face meeting between the Irish Irish star and Khabib Nurmagomedov in Brooklyn.

The circus that followed did not disappoint from the entertainment point of view and was not a means of publicizing the light championship game, already scheduled as the most important in MMA history, just 16 days away. pay-per-view of Las Vegas.

McGregor (21-3), who, as usual, arrived late late, sat a few meters from Nurmagomedov (26-0) on Radio City Music Hall with White officiating in the meantime . repressing the current as the stone face of Dagestan, Russia, has largely absorbed verbal blows.

"If I were an owner and a part of the promotion, I would have the craziest fans in the arena," McGregor said about closing the event on Thursday. "Where are the fans?" "I'm on probation right up to me and I'm coming in for civil affairs, bring at least the fans, we're at war!"

[For the record, White responded to questions regarding why fans weren’t allowed in by saying, “We had problems in New York [at UFC 223] and I did not want any more problems today. "]

From the point of view of comedy, fast wit and entertainment, McGregor, 30, would be considered a near-white winner for his performance at the press conference. He constantly interrupted Nurmagomedov by talking with him, regularly making fun of his Russian accent and spending all his time shining his new whiskey line, "Proper Twelve", as he had done.

"You look like a clown," said Nurmagomedov at a rare interruption on his part. "Stop pedaling your whiskey bulls —."

But the rather subjective practice of scoring that has won a pre-fight event like a press conference has more to do with things like intimidation and mental battle, which starts as soon as the fight is announced. From this point of view, it is fair to wonder if McGregor, the biggest star in the history of the sport, has shown a little too much of his emotions from zero to 60 so quickly once the press conference started.

Although McGregor has always been able to dominate his opponents in advance by verbally dominating them at events like this, Thursday's performance has become more enraged and dispersed by McGregor than in previous editions against Jose Aldo. , Nate Diaz and Eddie Alvarez. where the "Notorious" seemed much more confident and cowardly by mentally separating his prey.

McGregor must go so far as to heckle Nurmagomedov's family members by trying somehow to paint the undefeated Russian as someone who is neither loyal nor respected by his own president or his own nation. Considering these are the only categories that seemingly ruffled the feathers of Nurmagomedov, it's just as fair to wonder if an opponent with his emotionless behavior is the kind of player you want to manipulate.

"I came back for the love of this man and told him to shut up this man – a little rat, a little weasel, a small man in a group," McGregor said. "I've met a lot of them over the years, but when it's hot, it's unleashed. I came back for the sake of the war and I'm really going to really like to hit that little rat in the glass jaw.

"That's why I do it, because I love it, that's why."

At one point, McGregor's constant interruptions – which included pouring a glass of whiskey and grilling with White to celebrate the UFC president's birthday – led Nurmagomedov to do the same in a rare form of reprisal. . The result was a war of gibberish sustained on both sides that only helped to anticipate the fight.

The majority of Thursday's speech, however, focused on McGregor's April attack on a bus, which included a cart thrown by the window and an arrest afterwards. McGregor, who has avoided jail sentences by accepting a plea bargain, has not been punished for his actions by UFC and White, advocating the use of video footage. Incident by the company to promote the fight.

"That's part of the scenario, that's what it is," White said. "You play the story as it unfolded in the scenario."

McGregor, who has not appeared in the Octagon since his defeat against Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title in 2016, simply said "no comment" when asked about his chances of winning. he had to show his attack. But he spent the second part of the press conference disrespectful to Nurmagomedov not to leave the bus in Brooklyn to face it, in retaliation for the murder of McGregor's teammate Artem Lobov earlier this week.

"I just thank the Lord Jesus Christ that this man did not have the bullets to get off the bus or that the bus door did not open because that man would have died right now," he said. said McGregor. "It would be in a box and I would be in a cell and we would not have this fight.There are many things I would like to talk about that day and this moment, but there is still a lot of things going on situations about it right now. "

"If you wanted to solve this problem, why not send me a message?" Nurmagomedov replied. "Why do not you say you have a problem with a brother on your team, but why do you come with 40 people, you know I'm with one or two guys, but you come with 40 people, but what is it?" who has changed? Nothing. The sixth of October you will see. "

Nurmagomedov's response seemed to unleash McGregor, who was held back by White as he began a counter-attack.

"So here's my little fool, right in front of you," McGregor said. "Do something about it! Do something about it! You will not do anything.

"Did not you seem right in front of you outside the bus?" I showed you hands, not weapons. The first thing I said when I got there at this bus, I showed myself the hands I am here without arms, without weapons.He did nothing.He crept on this bus and hid behind women.

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