UFC President Dana White said that it was not the Russian who flatly refused to give the former opponent a second chance to blame for the failure of the revenge between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor as part of The Ultimate Fighter show.

According to the promoter, the reigning lightweight champion's decision was influenced by the controversial behavior of the Irishman, who criticized the organization.

“Khabib was intent on doing this until Conor made all this mess.

That's what I said.

It seemed to me that everything was captured and everything will work out.

We were preparing The Ultimate Fighter on ESPN and we were going to organize this rematch.

But you know, McGregor ruined everything.

Nurmagomedov said: "He went up to it!", - quotes White as Barstool Sports.

The day before, the manager of Nurmagomedov Ali Abdel-Aziz told about the failed fight.

According to him, the Russian immediately refused the offer to take part in the show, as he considered that McGregor did not deserve revenge.

If Conor is sometimes accused of unreasonable attacks on the UFC and other fighters on social networks, then Khabib got it because of the allegedly too loyal attitude towards him from the promotion.

On September 27, Nurmagomedov took part in the UFC 253 tournament in Abu Dhabi, where he played the role of Zubair Tukhugov's second.

Not long before that, he attended another show - UAE Warriors.

This angered New Zealand fighter Dan Hooker, who believes this behavior is in violation of the promotion's medical protocol.

“It was very strange to see Khabib in the corner of Zubair Tukhugov at UFC 253. I remember seeing him, it seems, at UAE Warriors.

But this is just an observation.

I don’t denounce him, but I say that I saw it myself.

He was on one show in Abu Dhabi - and in less than 48 hours, which is 48 hours of strict quarantine, he is standing at the octagon as a corner from a UFC fighter.

Is there a special relationship to him?

UFC, what's the matter? ”Hooker lamented on his podcast.

Meanwhile, there are three weeks left before the fight between Nurmagomedov and Justin Gaethje, which will be held as part of the UFC 254 tournament on Fight Island.

The press service of the promotion has published an official poster of the fight with the caption "Champion vs. Champion", as well as a video preview.

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Publication from ufc (@ufc) Sep 29, 2020 11:28 am PDT

As for Nurmagomedov, he continues to actively prepare and regularly shares the details of the process with his subscribers on social networks.

So, he announced that in the near future he would switch to a strict diet, and also talked about the importance of finishing exercises, which help to train endurance.

According to Khabib, constant physical activity is not only an important part of preparing for a fight, but also helps him cope with depression after the death of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

“My father was the same.

He always trained.

His friends said that wherever they went, he always had a bag with him.

First, he set up a place for himself to sleep, and then he looked for a room for classes.

I think I got it from him, ”the fighter admitted in an interview with UFC Russia.

The Russian is known for his unusual approach to training.

So, last year, several videos appeared on the network at once, in which he jokingly fights with bears, and the first of them was recorded as a child.

Despite the fact that the videos caused an ambiguous reaction from the public, the famous trainer Askold Zapashny suggested continuing the trend and taking on a new "sparring partner".

“Dear Khabib, I saw how you deal with the strongest opponents, including training with bears.

If you want to raise the degree of danger, try it, train with our guys.

Although I am sure that you can even cope with such, ”said Zapashny.

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In response, Nurmagomedov thanked the artist for his support, but refused the offer, noting that he "prefers to be friends with lions."

As for the expectations from the upcoming fight, both opponents note its importance.

The Russian expressed confidence that he would turn out to be epic, and Gatji made it clear how much he respects his opponent.

"Heritage.

This is what makes me so happy about this opportunity.

I have been following what is happening in this sport for a long time.

I really believe that if I can beat Khabib, and then Conor, then I will secure a success that no one else can match.

I, of course, will not achieve what would be comparable to the championship streak of Andersonon Silva.

But on the other hand, it would be a much greater achievement.

Khabib is the best fighter regardless of the weight category, ”Gajee explained to ESPN.

In turn, the fellow fighters continue to make predictions about the outcome of the meeting.

Most of them consider the Russian to be the favorite.

So, ex-UFC champion Eddie Alvarez suggested that most of the fight will take place on the ground, which plays into the hands of Khabib.

“It just seems to me that Khabib will knock him down.

The fight, I suppose, will take place on the floor, and I do not think that Justin is experienced enough in Jiu-Jitsu to cope with what Khabib will oppose him on the ground, "- quoted Alvarez MMA Junkie.

UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev is also confident of Nrumagomedov's success.

In his opinion, the chances of winning are 70 to 30.

“There is a tough fight ahead.

I think Khabib will take this fight.

He's more resilient and Justin doesn't use wrestling.

Gatzhi has not yet met with wrestlers of the level of Nurmagomedov, ”TASS quoted Chimaev as saying.

It is assumed that the fight with Gatji will be the penultimate one in his career for Nurmagomedov.

In this regard, many talk about what the fighter will do next.

A colleague in the weight category, Islam Makhachev, suggested that Khabib could take the place of his father, who was considered one of the best martial arts coaches in Russia.

At the same time, he expressed doubts that the UFC champion would choose this path for himself.

“Only he will be able to take the place of Abdulmanap, if he does it.

But I don't think he will do it.

Khabib has been in sports all his life and is tired of it.

Even now.

There are guys, the backbone, 25-30 people, about whom he knows, knows what problems they have, what is not working.

And he puts these fighters on salaries.

Khabib is trying to help them, "Makhachev told Hands Vyshe Youtube channel.