When Khabib Nurmagomedov casually told children he would've killed Conor McGregor: "Herb Dean saved his life"

Khabib Nurmagomedov revisited his victory against Conor McGregor, claiming he could have killed him. Nurmagomedov said Herb Dean, who was in charge of their title fight, prevented the Irishman from suffering a terrible fate.

Nurmagomedov's heated rivalry with McGregor culminated in the main event of their lightweight clash at UFC 229 in 2018. The Dagestani icon got hold of McGregor's neck in the fourth round and submitted him with a tight rear-naked choke. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) then suspended both MMA superstars after a wild brawl between the two teams.

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's submission win below:

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Combat sports news outlet Happy Punch recently took to X and posted a video of a past conversation between Nurmagomedov and a group of children, where ‘The Eagle’ said that he would have killed McGregor if not for the intervention of Dean.

''So [McGregor] talk a lot of trash. For me it was like very important to catch this guy. Honestly, Herb Dean saved his life 100%. He saved his life. Can you imagine, no Herb Dean [inside the octagon], what he gonna do? He's gonna die. Because I catch him, he go like this [indicating McGregor's tap] and Herb Dean come and [breaks off the choke]. And it was like not enough for me. This is make me sad you know? You understand?''

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments below:

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Nurmagomedov returned to face Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in 2019, securing a third-round submission victory. Unfortunately, the 36-year-old lost his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov in July 2020 due to COVID-19-related difficulties. As a result, he announced his retirement from combat sports after successfully unifying his 155-pound title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.

As for McGregor, he hasn't competed since suffering an opening-round leg break against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. 'The Notorious' still has two fights left in his UFC contract, however, his octagon return remains unclear.

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena