During the recent UFC 229 press conference, Conor McGregor took a few verbal shots at his upcoming opponent Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Ireland native called Nurmagomedov’s father a “coward,” the champion’s manager a “terrorist snitch” and made more than a few remarks to the Dagestan native himself.
“Notorious” was pointing out a few little known facts about his opponent’s camp during the conference. Ziyavudin Magomedov, a highly controversial Russian oligarch, sponsored Khabib Nurmagomedov until Magomedov’s arrest on embezzlement charges earlier this year.
“When money got pumped into your camp by that little scumbag that’s now in the little 8×10 cell, you thought you were a don.” McGregor said. “Now look at you. No money left.”
McGregor then referenced Nurmagomedov’s father as a “coward” for his alleged association with Chechen dictator Ramzan Kadyrov. “Kadyrov’s the Chechen dictator, a crazy man, don’t get me wrong.” McGregor later added. “But, Khabib’s father, lick-ass O’Hoolihan, posts a picture of Kadyrov at his mosque and the caption is, ‘Together we are stronger.’”
picture of himself posing with Sheikh Khalid in Bahrain.
It should be noted that Sheikh Khaild has not been implicated in any crimes. However, he represents a monarchy with significant human rights abuses to its name, particularly during the Arab Spring in 2011. The Bahraini monarchy continues to oppress its Shia-Islam majority, imprisoning peaceful dissenters, and stripping others of their nationality.
The book Enemies Within: Inside the NYPD’s Secret Spying Unit and Bin Laden’s Final Plot Against America references Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz as having been recruited by the New York Police Department back in 2002. Here is an excerpt from the novel.
“Shut your mouth, Ali Abdelaziz,” McGregor said during the conference. “You terrorist snitch! I know a lot about you as well, you mad man. I know a lot about you as well! You keep your mouth shut kid! How’s Noah? How’s Noah? Yeah, shut your mouth! Never speak about me, ever in your life! Watch yourself around me, ‘cuz you’ll be out of here quick.”
