Khabib Nurmagomedov has been reported to be the intended target of Conor McGregor and his entourage yesterday after they attacked the fighter bus he was in as it attempted to leave the barclays Center following a UFC 223 media day yesterday.
However, Nurmagomedov was not hurt during the incident, which led to one of the vehicle’s windows being smashed by a steel dolly, and he’s now laughed off McGregor’s attempts to intimidate him.
“I am laughing inside,” Nurmagomedov told MMAFighting.com. “You broke window? Why? Come inside. You know UFC don’t let you come inside. If you real gangster why don’t you come inside?
“This is big history gangster place. Brooklyn. You want to talk to me? Send me location. We have to talk? I am gonna come, no problem.
“I grew up like this. I don’t grow up throwing chairs at window. This is not my bus.”
McGregor’s moments of madness were believed to be in retaliation for an altercation earlier in the week when Nurmagomedov and his entourage became involved in a verbal confrontation with the Irishman’s teammate Artem Lobov in a hotel lobby, asking him to explain why he’d called him a “pussy” in a recent interview.
‘The Notorious’ Irish superstar’s response to that has now landed him in hot water though as he’s currently in police custody and been slapped with three charges, including misdemeanor assault and criminal mischief.
However, though Nurmagomedov is eager to get his hands on McGregor, he says he doesn’t want to see him being put behind bars.
“To be honest, I don’t want him to go to jail,” Nurmagomedov said. “We have to fight. If we have to fight, let’s fight. Send me location. Please, we have to fix this. Me and you. One-on-one. You want 10-on-10? OK.
“I give his whole team slap and no one say anything. He come with media, with cameras when I’m alone. Of course I want to go outside but they don’t let me leave the bus. He knows this.
“They don’t do nothing. I’m here.”