Given the amount of animosity between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, it was only a matter of time before the pre-fight jibes gained intensity.
McGregor upped the ante late last month when he described a man who the lightweight champion respects more than anyone, his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, as a “quivering coward” in a social media post.
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov recently responded to McGregor’s comment in an interview with Azamat Bostanov, where he claimed that the Irishman would not be forgiven for what he posted.
“Mentally they can’t get (under our skin). In that aspect we are standing firm,” said Nurmagomedov, as translated by RT.com. “We are even letting certain things pass. But we are not forgiving anything. The cage and the fight are still ahead (for Khabib and Conor).”
Nurmagomedov also stated that while McGregor is the priority for his son at the moment, he sees fights with Tony Ferguson and Georges St-Pierre down the line for his son.
“For the hype, for the money, to bury Conor’s era it [the situation] is even better for us. But if we talk purely sports-wise – we still want the Ferguson fight. I really want him to come back and defeat [Anthony] Pettis.
“The intrigue is still there, and the whole world is interested (in the Ferguson fight). It would be 11 and 0 Khabib [in the UFC], 11 and 0 for him. And the fight that hasn’t happened yet,” Nurmagomedov said.
“Georges St-Pierre, who has never been defeated as a champion at 170. He came back and took the belt from [Michael] Bisping at 185. It’s always been a dream fight for me. I’ve been following him for a long time. He is a Hall of Famer. He showcased so much in this sport.”