One of the main sporting events on Thursday was the press conference of former UFC champion Conor McGregor. He announced that he would return to the octagon on January 18 and will have a fight in Las Vegas. The Irishman refused to call his future rival. Soon, UFC head Dana White reacted to this statement. He noted that it is too early to talk about the return of McGregor.

“Yes, regarding Conor’s return, we focus on this date. But we have not yet come close to signing an agreement, ”White quotes ESPN.

However, sports-related discussions quickly faded into the background when McGregor began to discuss the current UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and his native region. The Irish fighter allowed himself several ambiguous statements about both the athlete and the residents of Dagestan as a whole.

Dagestan mixed martial arts enthusiasts immediately responded to McGregor's words. In the evening, they gathered at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the center of Moscow, where McGregor settled, and waited for the Irish to appear. Conor, of course, did not go out to the crowd, and the building was taken under heavy guard. And the next day they threw a bottle at an athlete during an open training session.

Hurried to condemn the statements of Conor and experts. So, the father and coach of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, promised McGregor that he would be beaten again if there was a rematch between the two athletes.

“It does not surprise me that he behaves this way even after a defeat. Let him say whatever he wants. We will beat him further, as we did! He says Habib is afraid of revenge. But do you understand what revenge is? Habib has zero defeats, what a rematch? Conor was beaten for three rounds, he gave up, he knocked! What kind of revenge can we talk about? People who lost in an equal battle, but he surrendered, ”- quotes Nurmagomedov Sr. Sport24.

Russian fighter Vitaly Mineev lamented that the audience at the press conference did not stop McGregor's speech when he began to insult the Dagestan people.

“In Moscow, a press conference was held for one finished alcoholic and drug addict - Conor McGregor. During this press conference, he spoke unflattering about one brotherly people and a republic in which I personally spend a lot of time, live and train, ”Mineev said.

According to him, Artyom Lobov, raising the Russian flag above his head before and after his battles, is also not one of the most pleasant people, since he allows the Irishman to make such statements.

“Do you know why he went unpunished? Because not a single man came there in solidarity with Habib. And those who came and tried to show displeasure, they simply were not allowed to do this, because McGregor was guarded. You know where to find it if something happens, ”Mineev added.

Promoter Kamil Hajiyev was also dissatisfied with the behavior and statements of the Irishman. He is confident that in the future McGregor will face retribution for his words about the Dagestanis.

“We leave to Conor! But seriously, what happened at the McGregor press conference in Moscow is a shame. Shame for both the fighter and everyone in the audience, in the presence of whom the Irishman in the person of the Dagestanis insulted the entire Russian people. In the hall, no one dared to give him a “bream”, but in another place it will definitely happen, because he has not been a treshtoker for a long time, he is dirty, ”Hajiyev wrote on Instagram, posting a photo with blogger Amiran Sardarov.

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Posted by Kamil Gadzhiev (@kamilgadzhiev) Oct 24, 2019 at 11:06 am PDT

Ali Abdel-Aziz, the manager of Nurmagomedov, did not stand aside from the scandalous statements of McGregor and insulted him in response.

“For many years I have been working with the Dagestan people. The only thing I can say about this people is honor and nobility. Never in these years have I met a single bad person. Some Irish ram has no right to speak so low about this legendary people. I love all my Dagestan brothers and sisters with all my heart! ”- Abdel-Aziz wrote on Instagram.

The Russian mixed martial artist Islam Makhachev, in response to McGregor’s testimony, uploaded a video captured after he lost the fight with Nurmagomedov.

“In connection with the latest events. Many more years will pass, but the taste of this victory will remain forever, ”the athlete signed the video.

In turn, the Russian boxer, ex-world welterweight champion Eduard Troyanovsky even suggested that McGregor hold the fight according to the rules of boxing and promised to knock him out.

“Probably now only the lazy does not comment on the MacGregor press conference. If he does fly away from Russia and the “Dagestan question” does not overtake him, then he is ready to offer him an alternative - a knockout from another Eagle according to the rules of boxing. To do this, it is not necessary to promote the battle, he will be able to come to St. Petersburg and climb over the ropes into the ring immediately after the battle with Joseph Zagradnik. If you still want to make money, I think Eddie Hearn will be able to organize our fight in the homeland of Conor, ”Infox.ru quotes Troyanovsky.