Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor may have chosen to keep silent throughout the build up of UFC 229, but it does not mean that he has let up from any form of gamesmanship. In an Instagram post he put up late last month, “The Notorious” went on to attack both Khabib Nurmgamedov and his father Abdulmanap.
As expected, the Nurmagomedovs remain were unbothered by the Irishman’s words, but they are not letting them slide that easily as well.
“Mentally they can’t get (under our skin). In that aspect we are standing firm,” Abdulmanap told RT Sport. “We are even letting certain things pass. But we are not forgiving anything.”
“The cage and the fight are still ahead (for Khabib and Conor).”
If it were up to the elder Nurmagomedov, Khabib will still get to face Tony Ferguson some time in the future. But for now, destroying McGregor is the primary objective.
“For the hype, for the money, to bury Conor’s era, (the situation) is even better for us,” Abdulmanap said. “But if we talk purely sports-wise – we still want the Ferguson fight. I really want him to come back and defeat Anthony Pettis.”
The intrigue is still there, and the whole world is interested (in the Ferguson fight). It would be 11 and 0 Khabib [in the UFC], 11 and 0 for him. And the fight that hasn’t happened yet.”
Another name on their hit list is Georges St-Pierre, who also expressed interest in facing the winner of Khabib vs. McGregor.
“Georges St-Pierre, who has never been defeated as a champion at 170 (pounds),” Abdulmanap said. “He came back and took the belt from Michael Bisping at 185 (lbs). It’s always been a dream fight for me.”
“I’ve been following him for a long time. He is a Hall of Famer. He showcased so much in this sport.”
UFC 229 takes place on October 6th in Las Vegas. As early as now, UFC president Dana White is already predicting that the card will rake in two million pay-per-view buys.