Nurmagomedov reveals fight plan: Smash, smash, smash

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov appeared recently on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show and revealed his fight plan vs. former champ champ Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 229 on Saturday night.

Not just win – smash. Smash. Smash everything, said Nurmagomedovm as transcribed by Fernanda Prates for MMAjunkie. Submit, beat – heart, mind, everywhere.

McGregor is masterful at getting into his opponent’s head, and attempted to vs. Nurmagomedov by insuting his father, referencing ancient tension between Dagestan and Chechnya, as well as the current incarceration of Khabib’s former patron oligarch Ziyavudin Magomedov, and the apparently troubled past of manager Ali Abdelazziz. The Eagle said he wasn’t much bothered by it all.

I’m not politic, you know, said Nurmagomedov. I’m professional athlete. If he have problem with my manager, he can talk with him. He tried to catch me with something like this; he’ll never catch me. He can fight with my manager, my manager 100 percent going to choke him – he’s a black belt from Renzo Gracie. If he have a problem my manager, talk with him. I don’t have a problem with his manager, or with his father, or with someone. I have problem with him. I’m going to fight with him. Talk with me.

There was an odd moment at the press conference when UFC president Dana White could be heard asking someone to bring McGregor’s belts. McGregor of course never defended either of his UFC belts, but saw then removed for lack of activity.

Dana needs [to stop kissing his] ass, said Nurmamedov. This is what Dana needs. And that’s it. Because how Dana can say, ‘Hey, where is Conor belts?’ He don’t know what happened the last two years? Max Holloway, how many times Max Holloway defend his title?

He forget two years, if you don’t fight, UFC going to take your belt. And the UFC lightweight division had to move. Dana forget this? Hey, UFC has finally lightweight champion. Now we talk about Conor belt – he loses it. He lose his belt. He lose his mind, not only belt.

Of course. Of course they want [him to] win. I feel like, with me, UFC happy, too, because I have big name, too. But right now, I don’t talk about all people in the UFC. Some people want [him] to win. Of course. Because he have big name. They can make a lot of money with him. Why they need someone come to mount him and smash his face, crush his hype? They don’t need this.

And then Nurmagomedov returned to his gameplan, which accounts for McGregor’s good timing and good boxing. 

This is like this: When you’re on top of him, and when you’re tired, he all the time tap. And he tapped four times already, on his 30 years, and for No. 5, he can tap easily.

He has good whiskey, like he say. He has good money, like he say. And he thinks this is legacy. He thinks. When cage close, I’m going to be very close all the time, and I make this guy tap. First of all, make him tired, and after make him tap. This my plan.

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