Conor McGregor attacker: Why did Zubaira Tukhugov fight UFC star after Khabib win?
CONOR MCGREGOR was the target of a post-fight attack from two men after his UFC 229 showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov - with Zubaira Tukhugov leading the way.
Conor McGregor lost his battle with Khabib Nurmagomedov thanks to a fourth-round stoppage.
Nurmagomedov got the Irishman in a choke hold and McGregor was forced to submit.
But the drama really kicked off after the fight when Nurmagomedov jumped into the crowd to fight McGregor’s jujitsu trainer Dillon Danis.
And while that was going on, two men enter the Octagon and attack McGregor.
A true Chechen would never take orders from a Dagestani man
The men have been identified as Nurmagomedov’s team-mates Zubaira Tukhugov and Islam Makhachev.
Who is Zubaira Tukhugov?
The reason why they attacked McGregor may come from the build-up to this fight, when the Irishman hit out at Tukhugov for his loyalty to Nurmagomedov.
Tukhugov is from the Chechen town in Grozny in Russia.
Chechnya and Dagestan have a long history marred by conflict.
Conor McGregor had previously criticised Tukhugov, saying: “A true Chechen would never assist in a Dagestani led attack on another Chechen.
“A true Chechen would never take orders from a Dagestani man.
“This is treason. There is no worse than treason.”
And it appears as though Tukhugov was out for revenge today.
The 27-year-old is himself a UFC fighter, competing in the Featherweight division.
His most recent outing was a defeat to Renato Moicano in May 2016.
As for Makhachev, he fought earlier this year on the Alvarez vs Poirier 2 undercard this July.
The 27-year-old lightweight beat Kajan Johnson in submission to improve his UFC record to 16-1.
Three of Nurmagomedov’s entourage were arrested after the brawl but have now been released.