Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals advantage over Conor McGregor in UFC 229 fight

Khabib Nurmagomedov has opened up on the advantage he had over arch-rival Conor McGregor in their high-stakes clash at UFC 229.

‘The Eagle’ believes that he had a mental advantage in his grudge match against Conor McGregor. As noted in an Instagram post put forth by RT Sport News via TASS, Khabib Nurmagomedov stated:

"Patience and fairness are the main keys to success. I could say he is bad this way, he [Conor] is bad that way - but it would be wrong of me. As a competitor he is very good. And he hits really well. But in our fight I was on another level mentally. It was not about who hits harder. It was about mental toughness.

“The whole world was watching and the main thing was to control emotions. We can fight. We can wrestle. We have been doing it our entire life. But when you enter a zone you’ve never been before, sometimes it’s hard to keep your composure. That is why back then I focused on my psychological condition more than the physical one. So as a competitor he [Сonor] is very good. But in terms of mentality I believe, I am much stronger." (Quotes via TASS; Instagram post courtesy of RT Sport News)

Khabib Nurmagomedov emphasized that the main keys to success are “patience and fairness”. Nurmagomedov also had words of high praise for fellow MMA legend McGregor’s skills.

In a nutshell, the Russian star asserted that his mental toughness was the reason behind his defeat of McGregor.

'The Eagle' indicated that it was incredibly important to exercise adequate control over emotions in a grudge match situation like theirs. Nurmagomedov highlighted that he worked hard in the psychological realm ahead of their fight.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA, whereas Conor McGregor is pursuing UFC gold

Khabib Nurmagomedov (left); Conor McGregor (right)

Both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor have held UFC gold in the past. Nurmagomedov held the UFC lightweight title, whereas McGregor held both the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles.

"Thanks father for everything."Khabib honors his father after retiring at #UFC254 pic.twitter.com/niDg1hB9xX

— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2020

Nevertheless, both fighters are currently at vastly different stages of their lives. Nurmagomedov retired from the sport of MMA in October 2020. Meanwhile, McGregor is recovering from a leg injury and has vowed to once again become a UFC world champion when he returns.