A rivalry that transcended sport! 5 years after the iconic McGregor vs. Khabib fight. Recall the story that captivated the MMA world

On the fifth anniversary of one of the most iconic fights in MMA history, we go back to October 6, 2018, when Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov clashed in a battle that transcended mixed martial arts. This unforgettable fight wasn’t just about fighting skills. It was a clash of personalities, cultures and unrivalled passions.

The roots of the greatest rivalry in MMA, or how it all began!

The whole story of this epic fight has its roots in the UFC 205 tournament that took place in New Yoku in November 2016, although some hints were made much earlier. Originally, Khabib Nurmagomedov, who with a 23-0 record was pulling a streak of seven straight wins in the UFC, was supposed to be the top title challenger to lightweight champion Eddie Alavarez.

But the UFC eventually gave the title shot to featherweight champion Conor McGregor. He was attempting to become the first fighter in history to hold titles in two weight classes at once at that event.

He then stopped Eddie Alvarez in the second round in the title fight for the lightweight championship belt and his star skyrocketed. Khabib, who eventually started on the prelims card, was able to defeat Michael Johnson. However, the situation surrounding the entire tournament greatly distracted him and his post-fight speech triggered an avalanche.

“I wanted to stay humble, but I have to talk because your boy (McGregor) talks too much,” said the clearly outraged Dagestani. “And you know what, I understand how crazy the UFC PR machine is.”

“But your boy was knocking like a chicken at the beginning of the year (in a fight with Nate Diaz, who took him to a submission) and he’s fighting for a title at the end of the year? Crazy,” he continued to tease. “That’s right, that’s not trashtalk. There are only 6 million Irish, 150 million Russians. I want to fight that chicken because this is the easiest fight in the entire lightweight division,” he shouted to the booing crowd.

Backstage, the first clash took place. McGregor came face-to-face with Khabib in the bowels of Madison Square Garden and the two men eventually had to be separated by security. That night was the spark that lit the flame of one of the most famous rivalries in mixed martial arts history.

The McGregor vs. Khabib rivalry transcended the boundaries of sport

The stage for this epic confrontation was then set in April 2018. Four days before UFC 223, a video emerged of Nurmagomedov and his friends attacking Artem Lobov, a longtime friend and training partner of Conor.

Two days later, McGregor and his cronies vowed to retaliate. They attacked a bus where Nurmagomedov was sitting in the underground area of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Two fighters were injured during the incident and a warrant was issued for McGregor’s arrest.

UFC management condemned Conor’s actions and stripped the Irish star of his lightweight championship. The vacant title, meanwhile, was won by Khabib Nurmagomedov when he defeated American Iaqinta at the aforementioned UFC 223. However, a clash between Khabib and McGregor was inevitable and the whole world wanted to see their confrontation in the cage.

Dana White announced their mutual fight at the UFC 229 gala, which took place on October 6, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Before the fight, the whole world then watched the pre-tournament press conference in amazement. Conor’s famed oratory skills went on full display, with challenges, insults and shots of whiskey. Khabib, known for his stoic coolness, only promised to silence the brash Irishman in the cage.

Khabib dominated the fight itself, but it wasn’t over after the bell

When the day of reckoning came, the tension in the arena was palpable and the fight itself was an emotional ride. Khabib won the first two rounds easily, wringing his opponent on the ground. He even sent McGregor down with a right hook at the start of the second round and took the entire round 10-8 with all the judges.

But a minute’s break poured new blood into Conor’s veins. He rejected all of his opponent’s takedown attempts during the round and took the round away from the previously undefeated Dagestani. But in the fourth round, Khabib took McGregor down again and, after taking his back, he applied a choke that Conor tapped out after.

If anyone thought that this was the end of the situation, they would be wrong. Immediately after the fight ended, Khabib jumped the cage and attacked McGregor’s partner Dillon Danis. A chaotic melee ensued in the stands and in the middle of the cage. While security tried to separate the two fighters in the stands, Khabib’s buddies stormed the octagon and attacked McGregor himself.

In the ensuing investigation, both fighters had to face consequences from the Nevada Athletic Commission. Khabib was banned for nine months and fined $500,000, while McGregor was fined $50,000 and given a six-month ban. The post-fight scuffle marred the event’s reputation, but only underlined the intensity of their rivalry.

Their 2018 bout will forever go down in MMA history as one of the greatest. It was a fight that transcended the boundaries of the sport and included drama, rivalries and emotions that divide fans around the world to this day.

Source: UFC, YouTube, Twitter/X