Conor McGregor vs Khabib: Late arrival to press conference infuriates lightweight champion before fight
The UFC lightweight champion turned up promptly at 3pm on Thursday at Park Theater in Las Vegas and completed his media duties before McGregor's arrival
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Conor McGregor's late arrival led to Khabib Nurmagomedov carrying out his own press conference ahead of the pair's showdown at UFC 229.
The UFC lightweight champion turned up promptly at 3pm on Thursday at Park Theater in Las Vegas and completed his media duties before McGregor's arrival.
The Irishman would later blame his tardiness on the Las Vegas traffic but Nurmagomedov was uninterested in hanging around, depriving those in attendance the chance to see the interaction and a face-off between the pair.
He said: "I don't need to wait for nobody. This is 3pm, the fans are here, media are here, everybody is here. If somebody is late, this is not my problem. I don't think about him. I have a schedule, 3pm I am here. I have to make weight and worry about myself."
Nurmagomedov was once again given short shrift by a mainly pro-McGregor audience and was jeered for almost every answer he gave.
The Russian has a mixed martial arts record of 26-0 and is prepared to go to extreme lengths to remain unbeaten in his professional career.
Nurmagomedov added: "He has to kill me to stop me. How do I come here if I don't believe in myself? I'm a UFC champion, undefeated and undisputed.
"You have to believe. When you fight at high level, you have to believe you're the champion and nobody can beat you."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments