Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach says Conor McGregor’s attacks on family and religion went too far

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor were involved in the most-anticipated fight in the history of MMA, when they clashed at UFC 229 in October 2018. The build-up to their clash was filled with bad blood and genuine hatred, as McGregor verbally attacked Nurmagomedov's family and religion without regard. The Irishman's tirades have been dubbed as crossing the line by Javier Mendez, the longtime head coach of 'The Eagle'.

Mendez recently opened up about the vitriol-laced rivalry between his student and 'The Notorious'. The MMA coach noted that McGregor's verbal attacks went too far, and did not highlight the physical attack that the Dublin native undertook on 'The Eagle' at UFC 223, when he threw a dolly into the fighter bus that included Nurmagomedov.

Mendez recently appeared on the Overdogs Podcast with Mike Perry, where he discussed the rivalry between the two former champions. He said:

"[McGregor] hasn't been the same after that loss to Khabib... Obviously, I don't really like him because obviously he used dirty tactics. [If] You want to talk about a fighter, go ahead. But [McGregor] talked about religion, he talked about family, he talked about country. I don't respect fighters doing that. I love a fighter that sticks to the fighter... Leave my kids out of it, leave my wife out of it. What do they have to do [with it]?"

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's coach discuss Conor McGregor below (1:00:05):

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Belal Muhammad explains how Khabib Nurmagomedov changed his mindset towards fights

Belal Muhammad began training with Khabib Nurmagomedov ahead of the welterweight's UFC 280 clash with Sean Brady in 2022. 'Remember the Name' appeared to be vastly improved in his bout against Brady, as he secured the second KO finish of his UFC career in an emphatic fashion.

Muhammad has gone on to become the welterweight champion, and will defend his belt for the first time at UFC 315 on May 10. Ahead of the bout, the 36-year-old opened up on how Nurmagomedov helped him quiet the self-doubt he felt ahead of his fights.

During a recent appearance at the Yaqeen Institute, Muhammad said:

"The first time Khabib cornered me, he was so calm in the back room. He was smiling and he was saying, 'Brother, you worked hard. Now it's up to Allah. If he wants you to win, you're gonna win. If not, then there's a reason for it'. And it just put a sense of confidence inside of me where it just frees you. Free yourself from the result."

Check out Belal Muhammad's comments on Khabib Nurmagomedov below (20:00):