Khabib Nurmagomedov’s former trainer Javier Mendez explained how Conor McGregor helped his fighter become a “bigger star”.
The two were in one of the biggest and most bitter UFC fights ever back in 2018, and the bad blood lingers between the pair.
Khabib was victorious with a fourth-round submission, and McGregor lost his way a little since then in the Octagon.
While the Dagestani man has since retired, McGregor fought in 2021 in a trilogy rematch defeat to Dustin Poirier, and only now plots a return at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler (live on ESPN+ in the US on June - click here for details)
Speaking to King Casino Bonus, Mendez explains that while he does not like the Irishman, he brings plenty to the table to stoke interest in a fight.
He said: “Conor brings a lot of attention and he is of course getting a lot of attention at the moment with his movie which came out at number one.
“Love him or hate him - I don't like him - he is a star. I don't like the way he acts but he's a great fighter. You can't take that from him. He's got four of the highest pay per views in the UFC.
“I don't like him but he’s a great opponent for anyone, he’s a great dance partner because he builds the animosity, look at the animosity Conor built with Khabib, then the jumping over the cage that Khabib did, that made Khabib a bigger star having a dance partner like Conor.
“Good versus bad. You need a narrative to follow.”
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