"I will ask your father not to punish you very cruelly" - When Vladimir Putin joked with Khabib Nurmagomedov about being "punished" for the Conor McGregor post-fight incident

After Khabib Nurmagomedov triumphed over Conor McGregor in 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin joked that he would not punish him for his deeds.

Khabib Nurmagomedov faced Conor McGregor inside the octagon at UFC 229. He won the match but jumped out of the octagon to dive at McGregor’s partner Dillon Danis causing a post-fight brawl. Several punches were thrown, and McGregor was blindsided in the octagon by two of Nurmagomedov’s allies.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission gave the Russian a nine-month suspension and a $500,000 fine. McGregor on the other hand, was given a six-month suspension and a $50,000 fine. After the sentence, Nurmagomedov swore to never fight in Las Vegas again, according to The Mirror.

Khabib Nurmagomedov met with Russian President Vladimir Putin

Nurmagomedov met with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly after his victory over McGregor, beside his late father. After his convincing win over his opponent, Putin joked that he would urge his father and coach Abdulmanap not to penalize him for his post-fight activities.

“Yes, of course you did not represent a team you were on your own. You did not perform for your country, but you performed for yourself. You are a Russian citizen and we are not indifferent to our citizens, no matter where they are or what we do,” Putin said.

“This is why we were witnessing attentively. I will ask your father not to punish you very cruelly because you accomplished the main aim. You won with dignity and [it was] convincing. I believe that all of us in our country are one big family.

“No matter what happens, we need to try and avoid rashness like charging someone, regardless of what is going on. Anything can happen in the family, but we never allow ourselves to cross the line.

“Of course if we are attacked from the outside, not only you, we could all jump in such a way and there could be hell to pay. But it’s better to avoid such course of action.”

Khabib replied saying:

“For now they are only talking about my jump even though I performed quite well. In comparison with his behavior, his disrespect towards me, my parents, my country, I behaved with dignity. Of course I have not controlled myself in some moments because they were provocations even during the fight.

Following his father’s death, Nurmagomedov promised his mother that he would not fight again, and he did so last year. The UFC’s president, Dana White, attempted everything to retain Nurmagomedov in the organization and set up a rematch with McGregor, but the Russian stuck to his word.