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Conor McGregor dejected after losing at UFC 229. USA Today Sports/Stephen R. Sylvanie/INPHO

'I didn't give Khabib his respect, I marched forward and got caught,' says McGregor

The Dubliner said because he had reached such an elite level of fighting, he was lacking motivation at UFC 229.

CONOR MCGREGOR SAID a lack of motivation heading into UFC 229 is what led to his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October.

Nurmagomedov consigned the Irishman to defeat in the fourth round at the T-Mobile Arena to take his lightweight title in Las Vegas.

McGregor said because he had secured multiple UFC titles in the past, his guard was not as high against the Russian.

“It’s easy to do this once, okay. It’s easy for someone to be given something and to just do it one time. You put your absolute all into it. But to do it time after time, year after year, that’s when the motivation kind of dips,” McGregor told Mike Pendleton during a Q&A.

“That’s when the dedication kind of lacks and that’s when people creep up. That’s what I feel kind of happened here. I didn’t give him his respect, I marched forward and got caught with that overhand right.

“If I had switched on I would not get caught with that overhand in any form of combat. I am very confident, very eager and very [much] in shape.”

McGregor did not think Nurmagomedov would have his wits about him and was surprised at how the loss went down.

Conor McGregor with Khabib Nurmagomedov McGregor suffered defeat at UFC 229 back in October. USA Today Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie/INPHO USA Today Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie/INPHO / Stephen R. Sylvanie/INPHO

“I’ve got to respect that. He’s a formidable opponent. He’s wrestled bears as a kid, put a lot of time in his standup. He was a lot sharper than I anticipated he was going to be, so I have to respect that. It was his big moment.” McGregor said.

McGregor said a rematch must happen because UFC 229 ended with ugly scenes that resulted in both men being suspended by the UFC.

“If there is dispute, there must be a rematch. There was a dispute in my last one. I slapped his brother and his cousin around at the top of the cage. This is not over. So there is dispute and there has got to be rematch,” McGregor said.

While McGregor hopes to return in July, Nurmagomedov has said he will not fight in Las Vegas again and does not plan to fight until November.

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    Mute Willy Motley
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    Mar 20th 2019, 4:51 PM

    You made a show of yourself. From the bus incident to this very day. Used to be a massive Mcgregor fan but lost all respect for him at this stage. Wish he’d actually step away from the sport. They should just call him money Mcgregor

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    Mute Bungee Aky
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    Mar 20th 2019, 4:55 PM

    @Willy Motley: all mouth. I never listened to the stuff that went on outside the cage, but watched keenly what happened inside, and there used to be a difference, now he is just a joke inside and outside. He won’t resurrect his career now with all that has happened unless he drops down the weight again.

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    Mute Tom Kenny
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    Mar 20th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Bungee Aky: A fighter that has never successfully defended either title that he won in UFC.. Absolutely joke that he has the name he has..

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    Mute Bungee Aky
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    Mar 20th 2019, 6:51 PM

    @Tom Kenny: he did well while he was on the way up, but he cut his own time at the top short and the fall was quicker than the rise. No humility, no class, no longevity. He will be remembered as the best, greatest, brightest flash in the pan that ever happened.

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    Mute Kieran Fogarty
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    Mar 20th 2019, 5:27 PM

    He was more interested in promoting his whiskey..how couldnt you give someone like Khabib no respect, the man never lost a round in 20 odd fights

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    Mute Desmond Cassidy
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    Mar 20th 2019, 5:05 PM

    Who cares ??

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    Mute Bungee Aky
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    Mar 20th 2019, 5:25 PM

    @Desmond Cassidy: you do apparently.

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    Mute Stanley Baggins
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    Mar 20th 2019, 5:36 PM

    If Mcgregor gets another crack at Khabib and beats him then he’ll be a big hero again. But he seems to have lost the hunger. He has shown with Nate Diaz that you can never write him off but he seems to have been on a downward spiral since the Mayweather money rolled in.

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    Mute Nollaig Elliot
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    Mar 20th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Stanley Baggins:

    Motivation or not, he’ll never beat Khabib even if he fights him 100 times.

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    Mute Adeel McDangerson
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    Mar 20th 2019, 6:00 PM

    @Stanley Baggins: lol not happening.

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    Mute Paul Browne
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    Mar 20th 2019, 11:05 PM

    I will give the guy credit for mouthing his way to the top, but not a nice guy in or outside the octagon/ring, he could of really been an Irish legend but his behavior has made him nothing more then a laughing stock, money won’t buy him class something he is seriously lacking,

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    Mute Dylan Doherty
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    Mar 20th 2019, 7:24 PM

    The money mayweathers ruined him.

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    Mute baw baw
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    Mar 21st 2019, 10:36 AM

    Aldo done it for 10 years and was caught naively in 13 seconds as he was beyond wound up.
    McGregor lauded his own talking game and aldo never got his rematch shot.
    McGregor says he was caught in a fight where he wasn’t up to much and ended in his second loss and should get a rematch just because.
    With his stardust waning and a bit of perspective its easier for people to see hes the Kardashian of UFC , took on a persona popular with the majority and played it expertly through modern media.
    A distasteful genius with talent in all the wrong places.May he and the rest of the kardashian culture be plagued with no privacy and a life in the public eye for selling there souls for a few million quid.

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    Mute Sean
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    Mar 21st 2019, 11:58 AM

    @baw baw: @baw baw: To write McGregor off as nothing more than Khardasian culture is a bit revisionist, while in recent times he has become a mere parody of himself, it would be foolish to discard how good he was at his peak.

    His persona only became what it was through his huge performances on the biggest stage. Against both Mendes and Aldo he heaped pressure on himself by talking a big and confident game and backed it up in the octogon. Without those performances his quick wit would have been nothing more than a cheap novelty. He has proven himself against a lot of top fighters and his lose to Khabib doesn’t take anything away from that.

    I do however agree that he is not entitled to an immediate rematch and nor should he want one, he needs to tune up, get a few wins under his belt and his head back in the game before he could pose any threat to Khabib.

    The idea that he could come back after two years on the session and beat him in the first place was ludicrous and thinking he could jump straight back in with him now is even more so.

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