BEATEN PUNCH

Mcgregor: I gave Khabib’s upright fighting no respect and paid price

CONOR MCGREGOR has broken his silence on his loss at UFC 229 and admits he did not prepare properly for the threat of Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The Dubliner tapped out in the fourth round in Las Vegas earlier this month after a 693-day absence from the octagon.

The post-fight chaos meant Mcgregor didn’t address the comprehensive defeat, until now.

“Thoughts on my last fight,” Mcgregor wrote on Instagram. “From a sport standpoint, round one was his. Top position against the fence. Zero position advancement or damage inflicted. From a fight standpoint the first round is mine. Actual shots landed and a will- ingness to engage.

“Round two he is running away around the cage before being blessed with a right hand that changed the course of the round, and the fight. It was a nice shot. After the shot I bounced back up to engage instantly, but again he dipped under to disengage. That is the sport and it was a smart move that led to a dominant round, so no issue.

“I gave his upright fighting no respect in preparation,” Mcgregor revealed. “No specific stand up spars whatsoever. That won’t happen again. I also gave my attacking grappling no respect. Too defence minded. Lessons. Listen to nobody but yourself on your skill set.

“After the worst round of my fighting career, I come back and win this (third) round. Round four. My recovery was not where it could have been here. I made a critical error of abandoning my over hook at a crucial time, exposing the back, and I end up beaten fair and square. It was a great fight and it was my pleasure. I will be back with my confidence high. Fully prepared.”

Considering it was the biggest selling card in UFC history, a rematch is possible, but Mcgregor said: “If it is not right away, no problem. I will face the next in line.”