Conor McGregor is never afraid to take on anybody, not even his opponent’s manager, before breaking UFC records on pay-per-view.
The UFC double champion is the biggest draw the company has ever had, achieving more million buys in main events than any other fighter in history, including Brock Lesnar.
However, the biggest of the lot was McGregor’s clash with Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018.
Fresh off earning hundreds of millions in a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, McGregor returned to the octagon in an attempt to reclaim the UFC Lightweight title from “The Eagle”.
Things got heated before the bell rang, with McGregor picking a fight with Khabib’s manager in the out-of-control buildup to the bout.
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Conor McGregor unloaded on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager at the heated pre-fight press conference
Ever the trash-talker, McGregor unloaded on Khabib’s manager, rather than his opponent, when the pair faced off at the press conference to promote their fight on October 6, 2018.
The two opponents pose with their respective sets of belts, before McGregor exploded at Ali Abdelaziz, unloading a torrent of abuse towards Khabib’s manager.
The Egyptian manager said something off-camera to McGregor, who immediately told him to “shut your mouth”.
McGregor yelled: “Shut your mouth! Ali Abdelaziz. I know a lot about you as well, you mad rat! You keep your mouth shut, kid.
“How’s Noah? Yeah, shut your mouth. Never speak about me, everything I know. Watch yourself around me because you’ll be out of here quick!”
Noah was in reference to Abdelaziz’s son, whom McGregor claimed he had been neglecting, which the manager categorically denied.
This bad blood spilled over into the weigh-in weeks later, where McGregor was held back as he attempted to kick Nurmagomedov as tensions heated up.
Abdelaziz even ran to join the brawl before Dana White quelled the unrest, which only increased the hype for the fight between McGregor and Khabib at UFC 229.
The UFC 229 clash between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov drew the UFC’s largest PPV buy rate ever
This scrap on stage only fueled the fire for the fight, which ended up breaking PPV records that no UFC fight will ever match again.
Over 2.4 million bought the fight to see McGregor attempt to reclaim the UFC Lightweight title, making it the most-bought PPV in the history of the UFC.
Due to the UFC’s $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, the PPV model is ending, meaning that no fight will be able to break that record for at least another seven years.
Despite having the UFC fans behind him, McGregor was no match for the champion. Khabib dominated the Irishman, ending the fight in the fourth round with a brutal neck crank to retain his belt in impressive fashion.
Khabib defended the belt two more times to cement himself as an all-time great champion before retiring, while McGregor has teased a return at the White House after years outside the UFC.