“But if You Lose…” – Years After Making Over $6,000,000 Against Conor McGregor, Father’s Conversation Comes to Light in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Huge Confession

Back in 2018, the world witnessed the biggest fight in the history of MMA when Khabib Nurmagomedov locked horns with Conor McGregor at UFC 229. The fight was the culmination of bad blood between arguably two of the most famous athletes in the sport. Naturally, it garnered a level of attention that is still unmatched five years after its conclusion.

The stakes were high, with the UFC lightweight title on the line. With around 2.4 million PPV buys, the highest in the history of sports, the pressure to triumph was on both men, but only one could be the winner. And when everything was said and done, it was Nurmagomedov who emerged victorious, retaining his lightweight title and walking home with six million dollars. But what motivated him to handle this unreal pressure? Here is what the former champion has to say.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Opens Up About How His Father Motivated Him for His UFC 229 Clash

Recently, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib appeared in a public interview hosted by famous podcaster and entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David. During his appearance, the undefeated fighter talked about a multitude of topics, one of them being his clash with former double-champion Conor McGregor.

Talking about the pressure he had to deal with, Khabib recalled how his father motivated him before the event. In Khabib’s own words, “If you can handle this pressure, you’re gonna become a diamond. But if you lose, you’re gonna be a loser. Just be careful. You have to understand. You have to understand what you want. When the time comes, you have to shine.”

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There are few fighters who can claim to match Khabib’s level of accomplishment in the sport. And without a doubt, his late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, had a big role to play in it. A former military veteran, Senior Nurmagomedov, laid a huge emphasis on the training of Khabib and his cousins from a young age. Throughout their professional careers, Abdulmanap remained a coach and mentor to them, a role he continued until his demise in 2020.

Irish Fighter Matches Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Record

In his almost decade-long career with the UFC, Khabib Nurmagomedov achieved a multitude of feats. One of those feats: the most one-sided scorecard in the history of the promotion. He achieved this record during his UFC 219 fight against Edson Barboza. Nurmagomedov outpointed Barboza on the scorecards of all three judges, receiving a score of 30-24 from one of them.

Now, almost six years after ‘The Eagle’ cemented this record, somebody has matched it. Interestingly, it’s none other than Conor McGregor’s compatriot, Ian Machado Garry. In the recently concluded UFC 292 event, the Irishman dominated his veteran rival, Neil Magny. ‘The Future’ also managed to get a 30-24 on one of the judges, similar to Khabib.

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