Khabib Praises Dana White's Masterful Promotion of UFC 229 Blockbuster

In a recent interview, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov provided an inside look at the promotion of his highly anticipated fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in October 2018. Contrary to popular belief, Nurmagomedov revealed that it was UFC president Dana White, not executive Hunter Campbell, who was the driving force behind building up the hype for the matchup.

Nurmagomedov recounted the infamous incident at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in April 2018, where McGregor invaded the backstage area and threw a dolly through the window of a bus transporting Nurmagomedov. The Russian fighter acknowledged that White played a key role in encouraging the feud, stating, "It was all Dana's doing."

Furthermore, Nurmagomedov praised White's handling of the pre-fight press conference for UFC 229. Knowing that the perpetually tardy McGregor would likely be late, Nurmagomedov decided not to wait around and left the event early. "I still had weight to cut," he explained. "Why would I stay for that?" White understood Nurmagomedov's decision, telling him, "Alright, kid."

Despite the UFC's continued commercial success, Nurmagomedov believes the promotion has struggled to replicate the level of anticipation and excitement surrounding his clash with McGregor. "The interest, the clash of styles, two champion fighters, sure that can happen," he said. "But not a rivalry like ours." Nurmagomedov acknowledged that the UFC will always try to promote new rivalries, but he remains doubtful that any will reach the same fever pitch as his legendary feud with the Irishman.