Conor McGregor never was considered a serious threat to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC lightweight title.
At least that’s the view of Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, who expressed his opinion on the Irish star during an event in Khabib’s hometown of Makhachkala in Dagestan, Russia.
At the event, Abdulmanap said that he believed his favorite fight for his son was Khabib’s April 2014 battle with Brazilian Rafael dos Anjos at UFC on Fox 11 as the two lightweight contenders faced off in Orlando.
“My favorite fight of his is with dos Anjos,” Abdulmanap said (as translated by RT Sport). “I’ll explain why: Before the dos Anjos fight, we trained for three months in the mountains. We put in the most work of our lives in those mountains. Khabib was ready as ever.
“I tell him: ‘Khabib, if you win, I’ll be making conclusions for you and myself.’ He says: ‘What conclusions?’ I tell him: ‘He’s a real championship contender.’ He says: ‘Let him go through me, then he’ll be champion.’”
Nurmagomedov claimed a dominant decision victory in that fight before succumbing to injury that left him on the shelf for an extended period.
“He was out of action for two years. He had four surgeries, then a broken rib. He didn’t perform for more than two years,” Abdulmanap said.
“Dos Anjos became champion, then later Khabib became champion. It turned out it was a fight between two champions, and Khabib had full advantage. They were in their prime.
“After dos Anjos lost his belt, Khabib went from fourth to second place in the rankings. He didn’t even fight for two years. Dos Anjos dominated everyone he fought against and became champion. That’s why I think it’s his best fight.”
Khabib’s fight with dos Anjos might have been a pivotal one in Nurmagomedov’s career. His UFC 229 bout with McGregor was undoubtedly his most significant in terms of worldwide appeal.
And while the matchup was certainly a big one in the MMA world, Abdulmanap said he never considered McGregor as a major test for his son heading into the matchup.
“McGregor never seemed like a tough opponent to me,” he said. “He was a showman.”
Abdulmanap revealed he had a more more favorable view of his son’s most recent opponent, Dustin Poirier, and briefly referenced a moment where the American took the time to seek him out to show respect during the weekend.
“In the last fight, Poirier made us nervous,” he admitted. “When he hit, when he choked, the way he behaved. He went around the entire arena and came up to greet me. I said he deserves respect.”
Khabib's father says Conor McGregor 'was a showman,' never a real threat at UFC 229