Javier Mendez, the longtime coach of Khabib Nurmagomedov, is never shy about sharing his thoughts on one of MMA’s most infamous nights: the 2018 clash between Khabib and Conor McGregor.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor
For those who somehow missed it, this was the fight that pitted the undefeated Dagestani wrestler against the brash Irish striker, a bout that ended with Khabib submitting McGregor in the fourth round, and then, in true MMA fashion, sparking a post-fight brawl that had everyone talking for weeks.
Coach Javier Mendez
Javier Mendez is a respected MMA coach and the founder of American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, a gym known for producing world champions. He’s best known for guiding Khabib Nurmagomedov to an undefeated career and UFC lightweight title, but his coaching résumé also includes legends like Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, Islam Makhachev, and Luke Rockhold, among many others.
Javier Mendez recently peeled back the curtain on what really happened in those final moments. Speaking in an interview with Mike Perry, he explained:
“People have asked me on that choke that [Khabib Nurmagomedov] had on him where Conor tapped… I said, ‘Khabib, I’ve been telling people that interview me, I’ve been saying that you didn’t want him to tap. You wanted to keep punishing him.’ And I go, ‘Am I right?’ And he goes, ‘No coach, you were wrong.’ He goes, ‘I wanted him to tap. Earlier on [in the fight], no, I wanted to punish him. But at the very end, I wanted him to tap. If he didn’t tap, his jaw was gonna get broken.’”
So, for anyone still arguing about whether Khabib Nurmagomedov was out for blood or just business, it turns out he was a bit of both. But breaking a jaw was a bridge he was willing to cross.
Of course, the story of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor is about more than just chokes and takedowns. The lead-up to the fight was a circus, with McGregor taking aim at Khabib’s family, religion, and country, a move that didn’t exactly win him fans in Team Khabib’s corner.
Mendez didn’t mince words: “[If] you want to talk about a fighter, go ahead. But [McGregor] talked about religion, he talked about family, he talked about country. I don’t respect fighters doing that. I love a fighter that sticks to the fighter… Leave my kids out of it, leave my wife out of it. What do they have to do [with it]?”
Despite the fireworks, Mendez insists he’s not holding any grudges, but things are definitely not chill between the teams. He continued:
“I don’t hold a grudge, but I don’t like the way [Conor McGregor] conducts himself. So I’m not going to make an effort to go speak to the man. No, I will not. I will not make an effort. Now, I’m not saying I have a beef with him. I don’t have beef with him. That’s him and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“But I don’t have beef with him, so I’m not going to be on his side by any means. And I’m Team Khabib till I die. I’m Team Khabib. But I don’t have beef with the man. I’m not going to go up to him and say, ‘Hey, you!’ I don’t have anything bad to say about him in that regard in person, and I have no desire, and I will not go up and shake his hand.”
After their explosive 2018 showdown, Khabib Nurmagomedov continued his dominance by defending his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, then retired undefeated in 2020, citing a loss of competitive fire and the passing of his father as key reasons for stepping away from the sport. Conor McGregor, meanwhile, struggled to recapture his former glory, securing only one win against Donald Cerrone before suffering back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and a serious leg injury in 2021; his career has since been marked by long layoffs, canceled fights, court controversy, trials, and persistent speculation about whether he’ll ever return to top form.
So, while the dust may have settled on that wild night in Las Vegas, the memories, and the opinions, are still very much alive. And if you’re looking for someone to shake hands and make up, you might want to look elsewhere. Team Khabib is sticking together, jawbones and all.
