Conor McGregor's fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of the most captivating sagas in the history of the UFC. The two met at UFC 229's main event after a heated and intense build-up that involved many personal comments.
Almost a year after UFC 229, and a humiliating defeat at the hands of Nurmagomedov, McGregor announced his imminent return to the octagon at a press event in Moscow. After being asked about Nurmagomedov's refusal to entertain a rematch, 'The Notorious' made some harsh generalizations about Dagestan and its people.
"I wouldn't go to Dagestan to take a s**t, and that is the truth. It's in the nature of the Dagestani man to run. Every great Russian knows this about the Dagestani men. Every Chechen knows this about the Dagestani men. They run, and they cower."
The next day, at another public appearance, McGregor was confronted by a fan about his comments and asked to explain himself.
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"Do you remember what you said about Dagestan people yesterday? If you hate Khabib and his team, why you say bad things about people? All people? My father, my brother, you think are cowards?"
The agitated fan then hurled a water bottle at Conor McGregor and although it missed its mark by a big margin, the former lightweight champion still flexed his quick reflexes and attempted to dodge the bottle. The fan was then escorted out of the room by security.
Check out the incident that occurred in 2019 below on YouTube:
Manager Audie Attar speaks about Conor McGregor's return to the Octagon
Conor McGregor is set to return to action against Michael Chandler in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter. After the conclusion of the 31st edition of the show, both fighters will square up in a bout. However, no details have yet been announced for the fight.
With uncertainty looming around Conor McGregor's clearance from USADA, his manager, Audie Attar, spoke in an interview and explained their approach. He revealed that they haven't confined themselves to only facing Michael Chandler.
He said:
"(Conor McGregor) always could look elsewhere. Everybody’s always doubting him and criticizing him and being critical, but ultimately, they’ll see when he steps into that octagon and ultimately, I think they could eat their words then. But till then, we’re just gonna do our thing and you know, go about it the right way. And he’s preparing at the end of the day and that’s the most important thing. Chandler makes sense. But so do others. But Chandler is who he has his eyes set on. Obviously, we did that show knowing that matchup was going to be next.”
Check out his full comments below: