Tag: Conor McGregor

Daniel Cormier recalls when Khabib Nurmagomedov took issue with him being ‘chummy’ with Conor McGregor

Daniel Cormier values Khabib Nurmagomedov’s loyalty.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] values [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s loyalty.

Former UFC champions Cormier and Nurmagomedov spent years training together at American Kickboxing Academy. Throughout their careers, both partook in two of the biggest rivalries in UFC history.

Cormier and Jon Jones’ bad blood was well documented, and “DC” still doesn’t see a world where they can completely bury the hatchet. Jones heaped praise on Nurmagomedov, and included him in his top five greatest fighters list.

Nurmagomedov respects Jones’ achievements, but said he can’t be friends with him because of his conflict with Cormier (h/t Bloody Elbow). Upon hearing that, Cormier understood just why Nurmagomedov wasn’t happy with him once having a friendly encounter with his arch rival [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

“We as Americans, we as a culture, we don’t abide by those same rules all the time,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “If you are in such a great conflict with someone, as my friend, we as Americans may not see the need to kind of fall in line and feel or operate in the same way. Conor McGregor, who I met back in the day – he was at a couple of fights, and we’ve always been cordial with each other. I don’t really know Conor very well. Khabib and Conor were cordial in the beginning, also, but it became so nasty now that there was that massive build to the fight, the way the fight ended, everything.

“I saw Conor McGregor in Abu Dhabi. I don’t know who he was fighting – maybe it was Dustin Poirier. We were shaking hands, and we were talking a little bit, and were very kind of chummy. And Khabib was like, ‘Brother, I don’t understand this.’ He said, ‘If I see Conor with his wife, I’ll shake his hand because that’s what you’re supposed to do, but brother …’ And I initially kind of fought it, but people close to me said, “He’s right. Look at the stance he’s taken in regards to everyone you deal with. Why in the world would you not take that same stance?'”

Since then, Cormier says he’s taken Nurmagomedov’s words into regard and has changed his attitude toward McGregor.

“I don’t try to request McGregor for interviews,” Cormier continued. “I don’t think that I would get him, but I’m just saying it’s not a request I make every time I’m there. But it’s like par for the course for these dudes because honestly, Khabib’s not just a teammate, he’s family, and they’re like that with everyone.

“And they feel like if someone’s in conflict, especially at the level that Jones and I were in conflict, they’re very stern in the side they pick, and it’s kind of refreshing because most people aren’t like that, guys. They’re just not – especially us as Americans. So watching that wasn’t crazy for me. Dude, he really is the man. Khabib is the man. He’s got to be one of the most genuine humans I’ve ever met, and I don’t know if there’s anything I wouldn’t do for this dude.”

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Conor McGregor sexual assault civil trial underway: Doctor, victim testify against UFC star

UFC star Conor McGregor was in a Dublin courtroom Tuesday as the civil trial for a 2018 sexual assault allegation got underway.

UFC star [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] was in High Court in Dublin on Tuesday as he faces a civil lawsuit pertaining to an alleged 2018 sexual assault.

McGregor, as well as alleged victim Nikita Ni Lamhain (Hand), both were present in the courtroom as the trial got underway, according to various news outlets, including The Irish Times. Hand filed a civil lawsuit in 2021 after she claimed the UFC star and another man, James Lawrence, had sex with her against her will in December 2018 while she was intoxicated in a hotel room.

McGregor and Lawrence have denied the accusations.

Judge Alexander Owens notified the 12 jurors (four men and eight women) that the trial is expected to last two weeks.

Emergency room doctor shares observations

On Tuesday, an emergency room gynecologist, Dr. Daniel Kane, who worked at Rotunda Hospital and treated Hand shortly after the alleged incident, said what he observed was “consistent with the outline of events as described by Nikita (Hand),” according to the Irish Mirror.

Kane said bruising was present in various locations across Hand’s body and said he witnessed Hand shaking and crying. The jury was shown images of the bruising.

According to Kane, Hand said, “He had me by the neck. He stopped me from breathing a few times. I thought he was going to kill me.”

Kane also said he performed a sexual assault examination kit to collect DNA samples in front of authorities. He also retrieved a tampon that was “wedged at the very, very top.”

Hand further details allegations during testimony

Hand said that, hours prior to the alleged incident, she attended a costume party at a club, drank alcohol and took cocaine. She said McGregor, whose cousin she was friends with, commented on an Instagram post of hers, asking where she was.

The comment came weeks after Hand told McGregor to give her a bottle of Proper Twelve, the UFC star’s Irish whiskey brand, to which McGregor responded, “You can get whatever you want, Nikita.”

As the night progressed, Hand said she contacted McGregor, they spoke on the phone, and McGregor said he’d come pick up her and her friend. At around 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., McGregor and a security guard arrived by car.

The car stopped to pick up Lawrence. McGregor exited the vehicle and came back with what he said was cocaine. Hand said she and her friend did some cocaine and were taken to a hotel, where they thought there would be another party.

The group went up to two connecting rooms. At one point, Hand said security closed the doors between the rooms, leaving her with McGregor. Hand said McGregor made verbal then physical advances on her as she tried to push McGregor away and brought up his engagement to longtime fiancee Dee Devlin.

According to Hand, McGregor said “that’s how I felt in the octagon, I had to tap myself out three times, that’s how I felt” as he forcibly had sex with her.

Hand alleges she doesn’t have much recollection beyond that, other than being taken home in a taxi later that day. After telling her mother what happened, she went to the emergency room. One month later, she notified police.

In the statement of claim reported by The New York Times in 2021, Hand cited having psychological and emotional problems caused by the alleged rape, has been unable to work since May 2019 and is seeking damages of $1.79-$2.13 million for lost wages (past and future), a change of homes, and medical expenses.

The civil trial is expected to resume Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. local time (5:30 a.m. ET).

Franco Tenaglia reflects on insane war in BKFC lightweight title win: ‘This was better than ‘Rocky”

Argentina’s Franco Tenaglia recounts his insane war to claim the BKFC lightweight title, Conor McGregor doubling his pay, and more.

It’s tough to stand out in combat sports for the right reasons. Yet, with so much going on, [autotag]Franco Tenaglia[/autotag] left his mark on 2024.

Tenaglia, along with [autotag]Tony Soto[/autotag], put on one of the wildest fights of the year as they went toe to toe for the vacant lightweight title in the BKFC Marbella main event in Spain. After a thrilling and destructive affair, Tenaglia got his hand raised to be crowned champion.

“It’s almost like a religious experience,” Tenaglia told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “It’s something extremely energetic. Every fighter has their own life. Every fighter has their own thing they fight for. I respect all fighters. I respect everyone in general; I’m a very respectful person and very humble, but I obviously have a maximum respect for him.

“Obviously, after what we shared, he’s going to be part of my life forever. For me, it was an incredible experience and people saw the battle of who wants it more, which made it insane. This was better than ‘Rocky’ because this was without gloves, real, and even more punches.”

Tenaglia impressed many, including BKFC co-owner and UFC star [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] who was in attendance. After the fight, McGregor jumped in and grabbed the microphone, not only to announce that Tenaglia and Soto were getting bonuses, but also double their base pay.

“That, to me, meant more. I don’t care about the money,” Tenaglis said. “That Conor McGregor, your idol, tells you that you’re incredible and congratulates you on the fight and tells you that the world is yours, someone that’s an icon in MMA telling you something like that, it’s priceless. It’s worth more than the double pay, but obviously I’m happy about it because, as you know, us fighters don’t make as much compared to other athletes.”

As far as what’s next, the Argentine fighter, who trains out of Climent Club with UFC champion Ilia Topuria, wants to remain as active as possible.

“I”ve done it my whole career. I usually fight six or seven times a year because I combine it with MMA, bareknuckle MMA, and bareknuckle boxing,” Tenaglia explained. “So I fight at least seven times a year, and I want to keep it that way, This is therapy for me. If I don’t have a fight, I sometimes feel like I’m training for nothing. I want to defend the belt many times and make it clear that I’m the best bareknuckle boxer in the world.”

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Max Holloway before UFC 308: ‘Copycat’ Ilia Topuria trying to steal Conor McGregor’s aura

Max Holloway lays into UFC champ Ilia Topuria for trying to impersonate Conor McGregor ahead of their showdown in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI – [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] ripped UFC featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] for trying to impersonate Conor McGregor.

Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) for the title in Saturday’s UFC 308 headliner at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi (pay-per-view, ESPN+).

Topuria has made some bold statements and not minced words when it comes to Holloway. However, “Blessed” is unfazed by the trash talk.

“I’m more confused about everything he’s saying,” Holloway told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day. “He’s talking about me not wanting to fight, me being forced to fight. He got me out here feeling like how he looked after my Gaethje fight, so it’s crazy.

“His mind is very interesting. But if that’s what it takes to be the best version of himself come Saturday night then so be it. He can talk all that talk he wants because at the end of the day, he still has to see me in three days.”

Topuria said he’ll challenge Holloway to his own game by pointing to the middle of the octagon for a throwdown in the first 10 seconds of the fight. Holloway isn’t buying Topuria’s claim and accuses “El Matador” of copying [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s persona.

“It just makes no sense,” Holloway said. “To me, I don’t think he deserves – you’ve got to earn that right. I don’t think he deserves that right. I mean, you guys know the guy he’s copycatting. This guy is a copycat down to his tattoos, to his aura, to the way he’s approaching fights. The guy is a copycat. At the end of the day, I think you’ve got to earn that moment, and I believe he could have earned it with Josh Emmett.

“In their five-round war, Josh Emmett was trying to swing. If you guys go back to that fight and watch what happened, when Josh Emmett tried to swing, someone shot, and someone held someone down for the rest of the fight. So, I think the moment needs to be earned, and he’s just trying to steal stuff. He’s already trying to steal one person’s aura, and now he’s trying to steal somebody else’s thing.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Overreaction Time: Jones vs. Ngannou WILL happen, UFC rankings useless, Sean O’Malley a fraud, more!

Check out the first episode of “Overreaction Time” as host Simon Samano and Farah Hannoun debate an array of topics in MMA.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the first episode of “Overreaction Time” as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie reporter Farah Hannoun debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • Make no mistake: [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] is the No. 1 heavyweight in the world.
  • Because the UFC can’t say no to money, we WILL get Francis Ngannou vs. [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] next year.
  • [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] is the best UFC fight for the rest of the year.
  • The UFC should just get rid of the official rankings altogether.
  • [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag] getting an immediate title rematch would be ridiculous.
  • Sean O’Malley was a fraudulent UFC champion.
  • [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] needs to keep [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag]’s name out of his mouth.
  • The UFC would be foolish not to book [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] early next year.

Watch the full episode in the video above.

UFC champ Belal Muhammad responds to Conor McGregor’s recent deleted tweet: ‘He needs to hit rehab’

UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad fired back at Conor McGregor after a scathing recently deleted tweet.

UFC welterweight champion [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] has dismissed [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s recent social media attack.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) recently acquired the UFC’s welterweight crown by dominating Leon Edwards at UFC 304. McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) fired verbal shots at Muhammad, criticizing his fighting style and drawing power, while vowing to become a three-division champion.

“I’d love to crush my left hook into Belal’s temple and take down the triple crown,” McGregor wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “I’d do it easily. And fast!

“To think this bum is now a UFC champion with zero knockdowns on his resume whatsoever is so bad. The UFC’s most abysmal zero revenue generating fighter in modern history.”

McGregor, who won titles in the UFC’s featherweight and lightweight divisions, has three times at 170 pounds in the UFC. Not only does Muhammad not see a path for a potential showdown in the octagon, he believes McGregor’s fighting career is over.

“I don’t think he fights again, ever,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “I think that he’s in that part of his life now where he’s starting to realize people are starting to forget about him. He loves that attention so much, so when he sees something happening in the UFC that’s getting headlines, he wants to take that attention.

“I get a fight announced and he wants to act like, ‘Oh, I’ll fight this guy,’ and he knows people are going to talk about it and speak about it. Even after big fights – watch after the Max Holloway fight against Ilia Topuria, he’s going to come up with a stupid speech.”

Muhammad is set for his first title defense less than five months after winning the title. He’ll take on undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov in the main event of UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

McGregor hasn’t competed since breaking his lower leg in July 2021 at UFC 264 in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. He has long been linked to a fight against Michael Chandler, but the fight continued to get pushed back further to the point Chandler decided to move on.

Recently, McGregor has appeared at BKFC events, the bareknuckle boxing promotion of which he is now a part-owner. In interviews, the Irishman claims he’s eager to return to action, but he and the UFC cannot seem to get on the same page.

McGregor has found a new potential opponent in Dan Hooker, who recently agreed to fight while at a BKFC event.

Muhammad thinks it’s all a part of McGregor’s plan to stay on people’s minds.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Muhammad said. “He knows he’s going to get people to speak about him and say, ‘Oh, maybe McGregor will come back in 2027. Maybe McGregor will come back in 2028.

“I think he needs to hit rehab first. Once he gets clear and clean, then he can get back in the gym and get back to working out.”

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UFC champ Ilia Topuria mocks Max Holloway for losing to Conor McGregor, who backs ‘Blessed’

Conor McGregor came to the defense of his former foe, Max Holloway, ahead of UFC 308.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] came to the defense of his former foe, [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag], ahead of UFC 308.

Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges featherweight champion [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in the Oct. 26 main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi (ESPN+ pay-per-view). Just this week, Holloway was mocked by Topuria for losing to McGregor by unanimous decision in 2013.

“He got beat by Conor McGregor. When you get beat by Conor McGregor, shut the f*ck up,” Topuria said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “F*ck, bro, forget about it. When Conor McGregor beats you, forget about it.”

After losing to McGregor, Holloway would go on a 13-fight winning streak, including back-to-back finishes of Jose Aldo in title fights. McGregor, who recently has been trading barbs with Topuria, heaped praise on Holloway’s success.

“It’s not a bad shout hahaha but Holloway came back and earned it majorly. Two time FW champion. Attempted double champ. Is current BMF champ. Nah, he the real deal. Always was, always is. Holloway is an always was, always is. 1000% He became way better after losing to me. He actually became an all-time great after losing to me. This is a stellar fight folks! He took moves as well with him. He became ambidextrous after fighting me. He can fight in both stances now as good as each other. He will be very hard to catch for the little man. Don’t walk into a crushing blow bro. He is strong too. And very experienced! 100%! BIG FIGHT FEEL FOR ME HERE, FOLKS! Oh yes Let’s go! #yawelcome #ufcabudhabi.”

McGregor also took the opportunity to take shots at Topuria, coining a new nickname for him.

“Little puppy paws he has. Check the little puppy paws on him. He is Spanish is he? Has he a fight nickname, this guy? I now christen him ‘The Puppy.'”

“Georgia does not have bullfighting. His prior nickname is terminated. He is now “The Puppy” Which is a good name, everybody likes puppies 🐶.”

Topuria fired back, dubbing McGregor a fake fighter.

“100% Max has improved after fighting you. He must have realized that if he wanted to make a living from this, he couldn’t be so bad as to lose to someone like you. Nowadays, he beats you easily. Dustin knocked you out in the rematches, Nate beat you two times, Khabib humiliated you, and Floyd gave you a master class in boxing at 50 years old. Take a seat kid. you’re a fake fighter.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Conor McGregor-Dan Hooker verbal agreement is of no concern to Michael Chandler

Michael Chandler doubts Conor McGregor and Dan Hooker will end up fighting each other.

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] doubts [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] and [autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] will end up fighting.

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) was scheduled to welcome McGregor back to the octagon at UFC 303 in June, but the bout was scrapped after McGregor withdrew because of a broken pinky toe. Chandler decided to move on and is scheduled to rematch Charles Oliveira in the UFC 309 co-main event Nov. 16 in New York.

That leaves McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) without an opponent, but “The Notorious” recently declared that his return will now be against Dan Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) in February after the pair verbally agreed to fight during the BKFC Marbella event this past Saturday.

Chandler, however, isn’t buying it.

“Conor’s a very flavor-of-the-week kind of guy,” Chandler said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “He just had a conversation with Dan Hooker. Everybody knows Dan Hooker’s an awesome dude. You can sit there and have a beer with him, a Forged Irish Stout, in the middle of a squared ring and be like, ‘Hey, man. I like you, you like me, we can make some magic, let’s fight each other.’

“I looked no further than that, honestly. Dan Hooker’s in the top five now. And if anything, it strengthens my case that I deserve to be in that top five, top six anyway because I have a win over him in my debut. So, I’m happy for Dan Hooker.”

Chandler still has plans of fighting McGregor and thinks the UFC prefers this matchup for McGregor’s comeback.

“I don’t think the UFC’s going to be very keen on McGregor vs. Hooker compared to McGregor vs. Chandler since we need to make this fight happen,” Chandler said. “I’m not really that worried about it.

“It’s been up in the air for the better part of two years. So, I’m not going to spend any time or energy or effort worrying about it. The good thing is I have a great job to do in front of me, and that’s Nov. 16 in Charles Olivera.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Conor McGregor wishes Max Holloway luck vs. Ilia Topuria at UFC 308: ‘F*ck him up!’

Conor McGregor’s war of words with Ilia Topuria continues.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s war of words with [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] continues.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was in Marbella, Spain this past week to promote his BKFC event on Saturday. He did not run into Topuria, who’s less than two weeks’ out from his first title defense against Max Holloway in the UFC 308 headliner (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) in Abu Dhabi.

Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) threatened to put his hands on McGregor if they were to cross paths, which naturally didn’t sit well with “The Notorious.” McGregor went off on Topuria, and showed support to his ex-rival Holloway.

“F*ck him. F*ck him. This isn’t (Topuria’s) home country,” McGregor said in an interview with Jamal Niaz. “This is my home country, baby. Marbella, Spain, where is he at? This ain’t his home country. He knows where his home country is, and it’s not España. So good luck, Max Holloway. F*ck him up!”

McGregor is yet to return since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He was booked to return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but withdrew after breaking his pinky toe.

With Chandler moving on to a rematch with Charles Oliveira Nov. 16 in the UFC 309 co-main event, McGregor has shifted his attention to Dan Hooker, who was cornering Oscar Willis at the BKFC event in Marbella. The pair verbally agreed to fight in February, but Hooker says it’s a matter of getting the UFC on board for the idea.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Conor McGregor says he’s fighting Dan Hooker in Saudi Arabia, Hooker confirms plan

Conor McGregor last fought in July 2021. He’s been on the comeback trail since then.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] last fought in July 2021. He’s been on the comeback trail since then.

And in that time, after presumably healing a broken leg he suffered in a second straight TKO loss to Dustin Poirier, McGregor has promised his return seemingly countless times. A fight against Michael Chandler had been presumed for the better part of two years – including a booked headliner that led to the UFC’s new all-time gate record, only for McGregor to pull out.

Now they’ve both moved on, it seems … but McGregor still is teasing a return. Saturday after a BKFC event in Spain, the promotion’s new part-owner, while making a hasty exit down a back alley, told Bloody Elbow he’s fighting Dan Hooker in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1.

And Hooker told Submission Radio he and McGregor spoke in person at Saturday’s BKFC event in Spain, and that they just need the UFC to line it up.

“I’m on board. He’s on board. We just need to get the UFC on board and we’ll get this thing across the line,” Hooker told the show.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBEV6iXywzU/?img_index=2

Hooker has mentioned wanting a McGregor fight in the recent past. McGregor has said he still wants to fight Chandler, but will fight someone else in the meantime. UFC CEO Dana White has said he expects McGregor to fight in 2025.

McGregor said in the past few weeks he’s “out of the loop” with the UFC in terms of getting a fight booked. Chandler moved on to a matchup with Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 next month.