Khabib vs Conor McGregor UFC 229 press conference: 'There will be blood on this canvas, October 6'
McGregor and Khabib taunted one anotther on stage in New York, with McGregor warning that there will be blood in the Octagon this October
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Your support makes all the difference.Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon next month after last year’s defeat by Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring.
The Irishman goes head to head with the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov on 6 October, in what will be arguably the biggest match-up MMA has seen in its history.
The pair meet at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, home to where McGregor was stopped by Mayweather last August, with a stellar night of bouts scheduled for UFC 229.
With little under than three weeks to go until the big date, McGregor spoke alongside Khabib in their first press conference for the fight.
"Don't come at the king, don't ever come at the king," McGregor yelled at Khabib, who remained calm and quiet for the duration of the press conference.
McGregor spent much of the press conference animated and threatening Khabib.
"I am in a war state of mind," McGregor said at one point when asked how he had prepared himself. "That's how I'm getting ready. That's how I am getting ready".
The fight will be McGregor's first in two years and the first one since his arrest in New York over an incident in which he threw a metal dolly at a bus that Khabib was riding in Brooklyn.
McGregor said that he is thankful Khabib was a "coward" who did not get off of the bus then.
"I just thank the lord Jesus Christ that that man did not have the balls to step foot off that bus because trust me — or that the bus door did not open — because if that bus door had opened, I would not be here right now," McGregor said. "He would be in a box, and I would be in a cell".
The press conference is over now, but you can read along for the updates we sent along as the event was ongoing.
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Khabib is now coming up to the stage. The two fighters are being separated by the moderator.
The announcer has noted that the fight itself is sold out, but live on pay per view.
McGregor is complaining that there aren't fans in Radio City.
"Bring the f****** fans!" he said, noting that he is on probation.
McGregor called Khabib a "rat" and a "weasel".
He said that he is coming back "for the love of fighting and the love of war", and that he is going to enjoy giving Khabib a "beating".
"Fanboy, the boy was a fan boy. He bought teachers of mine," McGregor is taunting Khabib quite a bit now. "Fan boy b****".
Khabib is playing it cool.
"This is everything I expect," Khabib said in response to McGregor's taunts.
McGregor is amped, and standing to shout at Khabib.
"Smash me mate," McGregor said, taunting Khabib saying that he "cowered behind women". He also said he "s*** himself on the bus", referring to the incident that landed McGregor in legal trouble.
McGregor is repping his new whiskey, asking for a plastic cup so that he can start drinking a bit on the stage.
McGregor is pouring himself a glass of whiskey now. He promised "just a couple sips" when UFC president Dana White suggested maybe getting drunk is not a great idea.
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