Sports
What Notorious Said While Being Submitted at UFC 229
With Conor McGregor eyeing a long-awaited return to the Octagon next year against The Ultimate Fighter rival, Michael Chandler, there has been a lot of speculation as to when exactly the fight will take place, with both desperate to feature on the White House card in the summer of 2026.
Having not fought since suffering a broken leg in the very first round of his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, and having not won since facing Donald Cerrone in January 2020, there is no doubt that the Irishman is ready to make a return and get back to winning ways.
Of course, he was pencilled in to fight Chandler back at UFC 303 in 2024, but that was eventually cancelled due to the Irishman suffering an ankle injury in training. Since then, it hasn’t looked likely at all that he will step foot back inside the cage. That was, however, until Dana White announced plans to fight at Donald Trump’s White House.
A lot of UFC fans put McGregor’s recent downfall to the night he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov, which happened back at UFC 229 in 2018 and sparked a fierce rivalry that still runs to this day.
Conor McGregor & Khabib rivalry
The rivalry between the pair dates back a long way, with the two being stars of the lightweight division at the time, as well as polar opposites – the cocky, arrogant, and trash-talk king McGregor, and the humble, devout Khabib. But while the pair only met once in their careers, the fight was perhaps still one too many for McGregor.
During the fourth round of the highly-anticipated bout, the Dagestani fighter submitted McGregor with a rear-naked choke to defend his title. In an instant, McGregor was defeated and humbled by his opponent, and not to mention, humiliated.
Following their clash, Khabib claimed McGregor pleaded with him to have mercy and make it stop. A request which the victor adhered to – only after the referee signalled a stoppage, of course.
Conor McGregor’s Plea to Khabib During Submission
The Russian once told reporters: “I beat him up for four rounds. I beat him and choked him, and he tapped.
“It was a sign he didn’t want to be there, ‘let me go please’ and all that.”
The four words coming out of McGregor’s mouth while being submitted by Khabib are still remembered today, seven years after the event.
There’s no denying that UFC 229 was one of, if not the biggest event, in the company’s history. The build up to the fight was intense. The fight itself was ferocious, and we can’t forget what happened AFTER the fight.
Khabib leaping the cage, McGregor getting jumped while inside the cage. It truly was pure chaos.
The fight has since been a hugely iconic part of UFC folklore. One that is much better remembered by fans of the Russian wrestler than those of McGregor.
