Khabib Nurmagomedov Says Age Played A Factor In UFC 229 Post-Fight Brawl
The champion would jump the cage and go after Dillon Danis after the fight, a decision that was apparently motivated by age more than anything else.
“I didn’t hear him (during the fight),” Nurmagomedov said in a video posted by Australia’s Submission Radio (via MMA Junkie). “I jumped on (Danis) because the other corner is too old – because Conor’s other corner and coaches are too old. That’s why I jumped on him because he’s almost like my age. If I jumped on (McGregor head coach John) Kavanagh, I don’t think it’s too old because Kavanagh can’t fight me. In the fight, I didn’t hear him because it was too loud. But I don’t like his whole team. If I had a choice (for) what I (was) going to do, but all the other coaches were too old for me – they can’t fight with me; they’re almost like my father’s age – that’s why I jumped on him.”
Danis is just 25 years old as of this writing and will turn 26 years old this coming August.
Nurmagomedov also claims that McGregor was showing weakness in the Octagon by how the fighter was acting during the bout.
“He tried to talk with me (in the cage) about, ‘It’s only business, what this meant for me … please calm down, don’t smash me.’ He tried to get me to relax. We already had finished three rounds (of the) fight, and then he tried to talk about ‘this is is only business’ – it just showed his weakness,” says Nurmagomedov.
It could be awhile before Nurmagomedov or McGregor fight again, as the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) is supposed to hand out their punishments for the UFC 229 post-fight brawl shortly.
