Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier’s entry into the Hall of Fame was exciting news for their fans. Both the fighters had big fights and equally exciting rivals in the promotion. Nurmagomedov’s feud with Conor McGregor and Cormier’s rivalry with Jon Jones was huge.

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However, during his Hall of Fame speech, the Russian athlete did not mention his rival. Hence, Cormier confronted Nurmagomedov for not speaking about ‘The Notorious’. Nurmagomedov discussed the circumstances around the fight.

He said, “Of course, Dana, Hunter, everybody was like ‘oh, little bit upset.'”

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However, when Cormier asked Nurmagomedov if they were really upset, he said, “No. … only one guy was upset: Me. When I go to the black room, I didn’t have my belt. Where’s my belt. He say, ‘brother, please. Be relaxed, I’m gonna bring you’. But no, bring me belt.”

Conor McGregor

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“I choke this guy, this guy tap. Where’s my belt? … This is not fair. This is like freedom speech country, okay? Give me my belt. I beat this guy.”

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After submitting McGregor at UFC 229, Nurmagomedov jumped out of the Octagon to attack McGregor’s friend, Dillon Danis. The Russian fighter was criticized for his actions.

Further, he also lost out on one of the defining moments of his career. Every champion gets the belt wrapped around their waist inside the Octagon. However, it wasn’t in the case of ‘The Eagle’.

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READ MORE 5 Insane Achievements Khabib Nurmagomedov Has Recorded in The UFC

According to ‘Sportbible‘, this happened because Dana White believed the Irish fans would throw things into the Octagon. While Khabib Nurmagomedov was given the belt later, it looks like he still wasn’t happy with White trying to restrict him at that time.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: His Hall of Fame Induction Speech

In his speech, Nurmagomedov thanked God and reminded everyone to be humble despite the amount of success they get.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov

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Further, he talked about his childhood and how he grew up in a small village. He showed gratitude to his father, who has been one of the pillars of Nurmagomedov’s success. Similarly, the retired fighter is trying to help others from Dagestan achieve progress in the sport.

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Watch This Story: Everything You Need to Know About Daniel Cormier Towel Gate Controversy

What do you think about Khabib Nurmagomedov becoming a part of UFC’s Hall of Fame?

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Rohini Kottu

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Rohini Kottu is a Newsroom Editor at EssentiallySports, bringing years of expertise in sports journalism and editorial leadership. With many editorials under her byline, she has worked across combat divisions and is now a key part of the Newsroom team, shaping coverage across the site’s 14 category pages. Her editorial command lies in balancing sharp news judgment with compelling storytelling, ensuring every article resonates with sports fans while maintaining ES’s brand voice. Rohini’s journey and impact were also spotlighted in the Humans of EssentiallySports series, where she reflected on her evolution from rookie to pro in just a few years. Today, she continues to drive newsroom standards by delivering authoritative, reader-first content in an era where authenticity and clarity are more vital than ever.

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Vibhanshu Kumar