Khabib Taunts Conor McGregor As He Reveals True Feelings About Rival's Performance At UFC 229

Khabib Nurmagomedov says he was "disappointed" in Conor McGregor's performance at UFC 229 and expected his rival to be "mentally tougher" in a fresh dig.

Nurmagomedov and McGregor clashed in an emotionally-charged fight in October 2018 for the UFC lightweight title.

The pair of UFC stars were in embroiled in a war of words ahead of their championship contest, but the Dagestan fighter did his talking inside the Octagon.

He produced a terrific performance, submitting the Irishman in the fourth round of their main-event bout.

Nurmagomedov was even heard speaking to McGregor during battle and exchanged words on the ground.

'The Notorious' was caught saying "it's just business" in between rounds.

And reflecting on McGregor's showing at UFC 229, 'The Eagle' reveals he was disappointed by his foe's showing on fight night considering his pre-fight tirade.

"Conor's trash talk? Yes, he had talked for a while (during the fight), but when I started pushing him, he immediately switched to the 'it's just business' mode," he said.

"I was even a bit disappointed. I expected him to be mentally tougher."

Image: PA

The 32-year-old added: "When I was ground-and-pounding him, talking to him, and he responded that it was 'just business', it looked like he was trying to calm me down to avoid a real beating, just like a son trying to justify himself in front of his angry father.

"Psychology is a very strong tool."

Image: PA

Nurmagomedov walked away from the UFC after beating Justin Gaethje last October.

A comeback has been mooted with McGregor hoping to lure him out of retirement for a blockbuster rematch.

As for the former UFC double champion, he's set to return to action next month when he rematches Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.

Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, is scheduled to hold a meeting with UFC president Dana White on the week of McGregor's return.

Topics: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor Mcgregor, UFC News, Fight News, UFC

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado, and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Darren Till, Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

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