It’s been nearly seven years since Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted Conor McGregor in one of the most heated title fights in UFC history, but people still argue about what was going through the Dagestani champion’s mind in those final seconds.
Now, Khabib’s longtime coach Javier Mendez is setting the record straight.
In a recent conversation with Mike Perry, Mendez reflected on that unforgettable 2018 clash – not just the fight itself, but what happened in the closing moments before McGregor tapped to a crushing neck crank in round four:
People have asked me on that choke that [Khabib Nurmagomedov] had on him where Conor tapped…
I said: “Khabib, I’ve been telling people that interview me, I’ve been saying that you didn’t want him to tap. You wanted to keep punishing him.”
And I go: “Am I right?”
The answer surprised him:
“No coach, you were wrong.”
He goes: “I wanted him to tap. Earlier on [in the fight], no, I wanted to punish him. But at the very end, I wanted him to tap. If he didn’t tap, his jaw was gonna get broken.”
That moment of clarity adds a new layer to an already infamous rivalry.
For years, speculation swirled over whether Khabib was trying to finish the fight cleanly or make a brutal statement.Turns out, it was both – he began the bout with vengeance in mind, but when the end came, he was looking to end it decisively…
Before bones started snapping.
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