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Khabib did a big post fight interview och Russias main state owned TV-channel 1.
(I have only translated the stuff that I found the most interesting, there are some other ok stuff in there to be translated if anyone is up for the task.)
The first video was blocked, so I found a new source. Let me know if this one gets blocked as well.
If the video doesn't work, watch it through the following link:
https://www.1tv.ru/shows/eksklyuziv...ravila-chesti-eksklyuziv-vypusk-ot-13-10-2018
Khabib discussed many things:
- The fight
- Ultimatum to UFC
- Meeting with Putin
- Pre-fight anxiety
- What it takes to become a champion
- About pre-fight trash talk
- Face of with Conor in pre fight face off
- Fight with a bear in childhood
+ Much more
Since this is a huge talkshow (over 1 hour) I will not be abled to translate everything, but I will take some topics that I find the most interesting.
Q = Question
A = Answer
(x.xx) = time in video
Q: So how do you feel?
A (2:03): I'm a little worried. Greeting to everyone.
Q: I don't believe that you are worried, since the atmosphere here is a lot friendlier then during your meeting with Conor.
A: I don't think so, because what happens in the cage I experience that every day in training, but what happens now is a little bit uncommon for me, but little by little I'm getting used to it.
Q: Have you gotten any chance to take it all in and get some rest after the fight?
A (2:39): I would like to get some sleep, at least 5 hours or so, but I'm flying around and I'm a little bit jet lagged. But it's ok, my coach in America Javier Mendez told me once. We had many cameras and many commercials before the fight. I told him, I'm tired of this, let's train without the cameras for at least one day. He told me, If you don't want the cameras around you, all you have to do is loose. But if you are thinking about continuing on with winning, you need to shut up and keep training.
Q (3:57): Where is the belt at the moment.
A: It's home, I told them that if you think that I broke the rules or the law, then lock me up, but give me my belt. Because I did what was needed of me inside the octagon, I beat my opponent. (applauds) - Thank you. I beat my opponent, in a fair fight, one on one. Not 30 vs 1, when they attacked the buss. They told me that there are 20 000 upset fans and that they have to worry about my well being and that they were going to give me the belt back stage. I told them that it's not as sweet, I want my belt put on me in front of everybody. They didn't do it, but they gave it to me back stage. I got the belt now, so don't worry, it's in good hands.
Q: (5:09) Yes we didn't see you with the belt, so that's something that was worrying everyone if you would loose the belt. But now when you are writing, that they can keep their money, let them punish me etc. Are you serious when you say this?
A: I would even go as far as saying that I'm very serious. If you ask me about my purse and money in general, If a good person has a lot of money I don't see nothing wrong with that, but is money the main thing in life?
Not for me. In this fight the main thing for me was honor, honor of my family, honor of our homeland, that the opponent insulted. I didn't think for a second that I was going out to some "competition" or "event". I went in there to fight a war. I knew that someone will have to loose, but I was ready to go to the very end.
(They show a clip of Khabib meeting president Vladimir Putin)
Q (8:08): What does it mean for you knowing that the president is among the people supporting you?
A: It's a big honor when Vladimir Vladimirovich congratulates you and congratulates you in person. And also that he values the work you put in, not only the work that I've put in but also the work of my father. Because me and my father spent 25 years in side the gym, maybe even more. I can only remember myself from the time I was 5 years old, but my father actually told me that I took my first steps inside the gym, which means that I was there since I was 2 years old. We spent out whole life inside the gym. So I am very pleased that Vladimir Vladimirovich is supporting us, but I feel that the whole country showed us great support. Where every I go... to be honest I can barely find myself this last week. You know I have never been this famous person and all of this fame that fell over me is a little bit uncomfortable to be honest. But what can you do if you keep winning? It's like Javier says, you need to accept this.
Q: After this fight, many new people that haven't known about you, UFC and that only recently found out about the sport of MMA know about you. Now you are most certainly a famous man that will feel all sides of fame. Your opponent Conor is used to being public, show up his life, his wife and child. The fans know little about your private life. We would like to know about your wife and kids, you said for instance that your son will be competing in 20 years, that must mean that you are already thinking about him following in you footsteps?
A (9:51): I think that he will. When I came home and saw that my son fell asleep on my belt, I think it's a good sign. He fell a sleep while holding my belt, but he is not even 1 year old. I don't think he understands what he is doing, but it's still pleasing to see. Honestly I wouldn't want him to experience what I have experienced, because everyone thinks that being a professional athlete is so cool, but they don't see what it takes to get there. Most people only see me for about 40 minutes from the walk out and during the fight. They don't see the 25 years of hard work, all the surgeries that I've had on my knees, my back, my hand, ribs, how I almost died two years ago while cutting weight. People don't see this, but it's kind off dangerous also, people think that I'm an professional athlete, but at the same time I'm almost a disabled person, you are playing on the edge all the time. I would want him to compete in an olympic sport, not professional sport, I am talking about a sport like boxing, judo, freestyle wrestling. Then we'll see how thing go, but without a doubt he will be training some kind of sport. Because out country need tough guys who will defend the honor of their families and their country, especially now that Russia is becoming stronger and I know from my own experience that people start to dislike you when you become stronger. So out country needs strong guys and my son for sure will training.
(They discuss the bear video for a while)
Q: What attributes to you have to possess to meet any opponent fearlessly?
A: (14:08) You know that fear and anxiety those are two emotions that are related closely to each other. Anxiety is good, but if you are starting to experience fear, it's the end. You can not control your emotions, your brain can't give commands to your muscles. When you sense fear, many things in your body shut down, but out of anxiety my things start to function at a higher level. If you learn to control these emotions, you will be successful. You prepare for a fight for 2 month, training cutting weight, but if you get out there and sense fear you loose everything. I got control of this area after many years, It didn't come at once. You are not born with this, of course you can be born "champion material" but to actually become a champion you have to work very hard. So work, experience and ability to listen and learn from your coaches.
Also when you get face to face with your opponent, you can tell a lot from looking in to the eyes of your opponent. You can look at my face, because the eyes never lie. (TO ALL SHERDOG PSYCHOANALITICS OUT THERE: THE PHOTO HE IS TALKING ABOUT IS SHOWN AT (15:41) IN THE VIDEO. Thanks to Lois for uploading the picture).
He can say what he wants, but look where he is looking and then look where my ayes are looking. Here I understood that I broke him. A person can say whatever he wants, but when you stand if front of him face to face you can understand what is happening beneath.
Q: Did he look away?
A: He never even looked me in the eyes. It was like he was looking me in the eyes, but he was never actually looking. I felt like he was looking somewhere here in the middle (Khabib points with finger between his eyes 16:07). Somewhere around the eyes, he never looked right into my eyes. Not once did he look me in the eyes. Everything that happened, the press conference, weigh ins, the open training etc. the close we got to the fight the more he broke. And when we were inside the cage before the fight (16:22 footage from inside cage before start of the fight that is being discussed).
I looked him in the eyes, I looked at his state and his appearance and I saw that he is already broken. I turned to my brother and said this and he told me not to think that and that I should focus. I told him that it's ok and that he shouldn't worry.
He was asked about how he withstood the pressure, the mental games and how he avoid getting burned out before the fight.
Q: How did you sleep the day before the fight?
A: I slept very good on the day before the fight, because the day before that I didn't sleep at all. I had a serious weight cut. I made weight 7 hours ahead of time. I had seizures, I threw up even tough I didn't have anything inside of me. I felt really bad. I probably wouldn't tell about this if I didn't win the fight, because it would sound like an excuse. Everything turned out well, I won. But I just want to tell you that I felt pretty bad.
You know psychology is really important, it goes first, in second place comes the conditioning. If you are not mentally prepared your physical abilities won't help you. This is how I prepare for a fight. Of course I am worried, I would lie if I said that I didn't worry with so many people watching. But I am not worried that some one will hit me, break a bone, I have went over these pain thresholds a long time ago. I am worried that I might preform badly and not show my best side. I don't want to lose, as a man, I just don't want to lose. How do I stay mentally stable, It's my faith that helps me trough wins and loses.
Update 1, new material Conor's popularity and bus incident:
Q: Why do you think this became such a huge fight? Did your behavior leading up to the fight play any part in this?
A: You have to give credit to Conor, he is very popular. Was I as popular as him before the fight? I think not. As an athlete I already proved that I am better then him, but when it comes to the popularity he is a lot more colorful then I am. Don't know how it looks now, but before the fight it was that way.
Second thing, this was a competition between two countries, that's for sure. Do you remember when I said, the Irish are only 6 million but in Russia we are 150 million. I didn't mean to offend anybody with this. I said this after my fight in Madison Square garden, when he fought in the main event. I became the number 1 contender, but the crowd booed me, because they didn't want their hero to be locked up in a cage with me. That's when I told them that they are only 6 million and there are 150 million of us and we'll se who's the best.
This was also a competition between two cultures. His culture and my culture, how I hold my self and his behavior. People were very interested in this. And of course the incident that is up until now unheard of in martial arts, what they did in Brooklyn when they attacked the bus. They could have killed two people, one could have been blinded since he got glass in his eyes and another one was cut by the glass. Whole world watched this. And you know what, I was upset by the UFC about how they promoted this fight. That they used the bus incident to sell the fight. I asked god to let us be locked up in that cage so we could find out "who is who". Who is really sitting scared on the bus and who doesn't.
Q: Let's take a look at the incident and how it all happened (They play the bus video 21:11). So this is how it started. I understand that if this provocation would have worked and if you would have gotten of that bus...
A: It's good that we got an end to this story and you all saw the end. Secondly let me comment this whole situation.
ALERT: INTERESTING STUFF BELOW
I had a camp consisting of 20 people with me (for the Iaquinta fight). We have rented our own bus go get to practice and back. You know what's interesting? UFC told me that day that I must ride alone for the media day. So I didn't go with my team, I went with all the fighters from the "red corner". I had with me two people, one of my guys and my manager. (22:28 Khabib points to the footage) Look at this carefully, the bus is going out and all of a sudden it stops and backs up. Why? We were almost out. Now you see that the crowd is running at us. What is the bus driver doing? He is suppose to just get out of here, but he stops and goes back.
I have many questions about that whole situation. I don't know if UFC planned this or not. So they started attacking the bus from all sides, there were about 20 of them. And there were about 10 guards from UFC and most of them are going after Conor. I'm about 70% certain that it was all planned by the UFC. I wanted to get out, this is confirmed by all the fighters that were on the bus. This whole incident lasted about 1,5 - 2 minutes.
This incident leaves me with a lot of questions.
I would like to point another thing out. In the 2013 me and him we texted each other. I even still have this conversation, we communicated normally. So when this all happened, if he would have wanted to find me, why didn't he text me? He could have told me, hey you stepped over the line and we need to sort some thing out. Well now you flew out here, why do you come to brawl with cameras. He actually came with his own cameras. He has a whole PR-team that follows him around and films him.
Another thing is that his was at the Barkleys center, it is huge, it's a 20 000 people arena. How could they have known where we were at that time? That's the first question. The second question is who let them inside the arena, when 20-30 angry people walk inside the arena The UFC staff should have stopped them, since Conor didn't have any business being at that Media-Day event. What are they doing here? Who are they looking for? Nobody know. UFC staff just escorts them through a bunch of corridors straight to out bus. You know, many people think I'm dumb because I'm an athlete, but I am also educated and my brain functions well. During my 15 years in fighting I haven't taken to many punches. So my brain functions well and I'm able to think for my self.
Q: This was also filmed by different cameras and different angles..
A: Of course.
Update 2, Khabib's evaluation of post fight brawl, discussions with UFC, situation about his teammates who lost their UFC contracts:
Khabib talk about his Sambo background, his reception in Dagestan and some other fluff. It was interesting, but I will not bother translating.
They discuss his fame and that so many people admire him and so on...
A: I feel that everyone has right to make mistakes, but I don't have that right anymore.
Q: The things that happened after the fight. Was it a mistake?
A: Deep down inside I feel it was a mistake. What ever happens, we shouldn't behave like them (Conor's team). But after all I wanted to let them know... I don't know... I have conflicting feeling about this, but I am leaning towards that this was a mistake.
Q (48:42) Question from boxing champion Svetlana Andreeva: I would also like to express my feeling about the fight because I rooted for you and wished you a positive outcome in the fight. One thing that worries me is your friend Zuba (Zubaira Tukhugov) and the other guys from your team. What is happening with them at the moment?
A: I have voiced my terms to them (UFC). Can you imagine this, you are going to war, and a man who follows you to harm has been harmed. You have won the war, you can go home and take a sleep, but that man who followed you is still harmed. That's not how a man acts and it's not how I act. I told them that if you want to ban him, fire him or whatever, you are going to loose me 100%.
Q: So that's your big announcement, the ultimatum, where you say that either they clear your friend and sparring partner, or you are leaving the UFC together?
A (50:01): You know, I think that a man, and this is a little sad, not always has a chance to distinguish himself. To show the person that you are and the values that you represent. To be a man in our day and age is very hard. I told them... they already started to negotiate my next fight... I told them no, wait, slow down. You punished my team and you want me to negotiate with you? That will never happen. This is what we will do, everything is going to be alright with my team. Because we didn't start this, we ended this. Don't get the stuff confused. We are Sambo guys, Sambo stands for Samooborona biz oruzhiya (Self defense without weapons), we didn't come with weapons. We went out against guys who are as prepared and well trained as we are and stood up for our honor. And now you pay them off, give them their purse, money and send them home and try to push all the blame on our team? This will never happen.
If you want to... don't want to curse... but if you do bad things like this. We will not partake in this, handle your business do whatever you want, but don't call me about the next fight. Until you sort out all the problems of my team, my brothers, don't call me at all. (BAD ASS!)
Update 3 (FINAL), Oprah moments
Now I have watched the whole thing. The last part is not about UFC, it's more about Khabib's views on different things, about childhood, about him building a school and kindergarten in his home village, they invited his childhood friends to tell about Khabib.
I've picked out a couple of interesting stuff.
One guy in the crowd mentions an article that some newspaper wrote about Khabib not being Russian since he is living in California and not coming back to Russia:
A (1:03:18): I have come here to talk about my fight and not some statements written in some newspaper. If you have run out of subjects and you want to discuss things that are unpleasant to me, you are mistaken. I won't do it.
(They try to ask some other question because there is some awkward energy, to diffuse the situation. Khabib comes back to the subject later)
A (1:04:32): The thing you discussed before. Some newspaper says I'm not Russian, I'm Dagestani, I live in California somewhere. I'm not going to discuss this stuff, I live in the mountains of Dagestan. I have a house there, we're building another house at the moment. I know who I am. Whatever I say, there will always be people who dislike me, and they will be taking stabs at me. I will say one thing, I have a Russian passport, so leave those provocational questions be.
(They are discussing childhood and his childhood friends. One of the guys told a story about how he and Khabib met and that they first got into a fight. He was 3 years older and hit Khabib since they were a big family and he describes that people talked about "the 800 brother". This guy was annoyed and hit Khabib. Khabib and one of his brothers attacked the guy and kicked his ass. After that they became friends)
A (1:13:16): You know in 1998 my father moved from our village to the city (Makhachkala, capital of Dagestan). We were 16 brothers. Some were going to school, some to university and some were studying in college. We had army discipline in the house. And because of this, like he's saying 800 brothers, we were very tight knit. We had a day to day schedules, we had guys who were "in charge" duty. We had no mother or sisters who could help around the house, we did it all by ourselves. We lived like this for 11 years inside 1 house. From this house we have 5 world champions, a UFC champion and a father who is an distinguished Russian coach.
(I have only translated the stuff that I found the most interesting, there are some other ok stuff in there to be translated if anyone is up for the task.)
The first video was blocked, so I found a new source. Let me know if this one gets blocked as well.
If the video doesn't work, watch it through the following link:
https://www.1tv.ru/shows/eksklyuziv...ravila-chesti-eksklyuziv-vypusk-ot-13-10-2018
Khabib discussed many things:
- The fight
- Ultimatum to UFC
- Meeting with Putin
- Pre-fight anxiety
- What it takes to become a champion
- About pre-fight trash talk
- Face of with Conor in pre fight face off
- Fight with a bear in childhood
+ Much more
Since this is a huge talkshow (over 1 hour) I will not be abled to translate everything, but I will take some topics that I find the most interesting.
Q = Question
A = Answer
(x.xx) = time in video
Q: So how do you feel?
A (2:03): I'm a little worried. Greeting to everyone.
Q: I don't believe that you are worried, since the atmosphere here is a lot friendlier then during your meeting with Conor.
A: I don't think so, because what happens in the cage I experience that every day in training, but what happens now is a little bit uncommon for me, but little by little I'm getting used to it.
Q: Have you gotten any chance to take it all in and get some rest after the fight?
A (2:39): I would like to get some sleep, at least 5 hours or so, but I'm flying around and I'm a little bit jet lagged. But it's ok, my coach in America Javier Mendez told me once. We had many cameras and many commercials before the fight. I told him, I'm tired of this, let's train without the cameras for at least one day. He told me, If you don't want the cameras around you, all you have to do is loose. But if you are thinking about continuing on with winning, you need to shut up and keep training.
Q (3:57): Where is the belt at the moment.
A: It's home, I told them that if you think that I broke the rules or the law, then lock me up, but give me my belt. Because I did what was needed of me inside the octagon, I beat my opponent. (applauds) - Thank you. I beat my opponent, in a fair fight, one on one. Not 30 vs 1, when they attacked the buss. They told me that there are 20 000 upset fans and that they have to worry about my well being and that they were going to give me the belt back stage. I told them that it's not as sweet, I want my belt put on me in front of everybody. They didn't do it, but they gave it to me back stage. I got the belt now, so don't worry, it's in good hands.
Q: (5:09) Yes we didn't see you with the belt, so that's something that was worrying everyone if you would loose the belt. But now when you are writing, that they can keep their money, let them punish me etc. Are you serious when you say this?
A: I would even go as far as saying that I'm very serious. If you ask me about my purse and money in general, If a good person has a lot of money I don't see nothing wrong with that, but is money the main thing in life?
Not for me. In this fight the main thing for me was honor, honor of my family, honor of our homeland, that the opponent insulted. I didn't think for a second that I was going out to some "competition" or "event". I went in there to fight a war. I knew that someone will have to loose, but I was ready to go to the very end.
(They show a clip of Khabib meeting president Vladimir Putin)
Q (8:08): What does it mean for you knowing that the president is among the people supporting you?
A: It's a big honor when Vladimir Vladimirovich congratulates you and congratulates you in person. And also that he values the work you put in, not only the work that I've put in but also the work of my father. Because me and my father spent 25 years in side the gym, maybe even more. I can only remember myself from the time I was 5 years old, but my father actually told me that I took my first steps inside the gym, which means that I was there since I was 2 years old. We spent out whole life inside the gym. So I am very pleased that Vladimir Vladimirovich is supporting us, but I feel that the whole country showed us great support. Where every I go... to be honest I can barely find myself this last week. You know I have never been this famous person and all of this fame that fell over me is a little bit uncomfortable to be honest. But what can you do if you keep winning? It's like Javier says, you need to accept this.
Q: After this fight, many new people that haven't known about you, UFC and that only recently found out about the sport of MMA know about you. Now you are most certainly a famous man that will feel all sides of fame. Your opponent Conor is used to being public, show up his life, his wife and child. The fans know little about your private life. We would like to know about your wife and kids, you said for instance that your son will be competing in 20 years, that must mean that you are already thinking about him following in you footsteps?
A (9:51): I think that he will. When I came home and saw that my son fell asleep on my belt, I think it's a good sign. He fell a sleep while holding my belt, but he is not even 1 year old. I don't think he understands what he is doing, but it's still pleasing to see. Honestly I wouldn't want him to experience what I have experienced, because everyone thinks that being a professional athlete is so cool, but they don't see what it takes to get there. Most people only see me for about 40 minutes from the walk out and during the fight. They don't see the 25 years of hard work, all the surgeries that I've had on my knees, my back, my hand, ribs, how I almost died two years ago while cutting weight. People don't see this, but it's kind off dangerous also, people think that I'm an professional athlete, but at the same time I'm almost a disabled person, you are playing on the edge all the time. I would want him to compete in an olympic sport, not professional sport, I am talking about a sport like boxing, judo, freestyle wrestling. Then we'll see how thing go, but without a doubt he will be training some kind of sport. Because out country need tough guys who will defend the honor of their families and their country, especially now that Russia is becoming stronger and I know from my own experience that people start to dislike you when you become stronger. So out country needs strong guys and my son for sure will training.
(They discuss the bear video for a while)
Q: What attributes to you have to possess to meet any opponent fearlessly?
A: (14:08) You know that fear and anxiety those are two emotions that are related closely to each other. Anxiety is good, but if you are starting to experience fear, it's the end. You can not control your emotions, your brain can't give commands to your muscles. When you sense fear, many things in your body shut down, but out of anxiety my things start to function at a higher level. If you learn to control these emotions, you will be successful. You prepare for a fight for 2 month, training cutting weight, but if you get out there and sense fear you loose everything. I got control of this area after many years, It didn't come at once. You are not born with this, of course you can be born "champion material" but to actually become a champion you have to work very hard. So work, experience and ability to listen and learn from your coaches.
Also when you get face to face with your opponent, you can tell a lot from looking in to the eyes of your opponent. You can look at my face, because the eyes never lie. (TO ALL SHERDOG PSYCHOANALITICS OUT THERE: THE PHOTO HE IS TALKING ABOUT IS SHOWN AT (15:41) IN THE VIDEO. Thanks to Lois for uploading the picture).
He can say what he wants, but look where he is looking and then look where my ayes are looking. Here I understood that I broke him. A person can say whatever he wants, but when you stand if front of him face to face you can understand what is happening beneath.
Q: Did he look away?
A: He never even looked me in the eyes. It was like he was looking me in the eyes, but he was never actually looking. I felt like he was looking somewhere here in the middle (Khabib points with finger between his eyes 16:07). Somewhere around the eyes, he never looked right into my eyes. Not once did he look me in the eyes. Everything that happened, the press conference, weigh ins, the open training etc. the close we got to the fight the more he broke. And when we were inside the cage before the fight (16:22 footage from inside cage before start of the fight that is being discussed).
I looked him in the eyes, I looked at his state and his appearance and I saw that he is already broken. I turned to my brother and said this and he told me not to think that and that I should focus. I told him that it's ok and that he shouldn't worry.
He was asked about how he withstood the pressure, the mental games and how he avoid getting burned out before the fight.
Q: How did you sleep the day before the fight?
A: I slept very good on the day before the fight, because the day before that I didn't sleep at all. I had a serious weight cut. I made weight 7 hours ahead of time. I had seizures, I threw up even tough I didn't have anything inside of me. I felt really bad. I probably wouldn't tell about this if I didn't win the fight, because it would sound like an excuse. Everything turned out well, I won. But I just want to tell you that I felt pretty bad.
You know psychology is really important, it goes first, in second place comes the conditioning. If you are not mentally prepared your physical abilities won't help you. This is how I prepare for a fight. Of course I am worried, I would lie if I said that I didn't worry with so many people watching. But I am not worried that some one will hit me, break a bone, I have went over these pain thresholds a long time ago. I am worried that I might preform badly and not show my best side. I don't want to lose, as a man, I just don't want to lose. How do I stay mentally stable, It's my faith that helps me trough wins and loses.
Update 1, new material Conor's popularity and bus incident:
Q: Why do you think this became such a huge fight? Did your behavior leading up to the fight play any part in this?
A: You have to give credit to Conor, he is very popular. Was I as popular as him before the fight? I think not. As an athlete I already proved that I am better then him, but when it comes to the popularity he is a lot more colorful then I am. Don't know how it looks now, but before the fight it was that way.
Second thing, this was a competition between two countries, that's for sure. Do you remember when I said, the Irish are only 6 million but in Russia we are 150 million. I didn't mean to offend anybody with this. I said this after my fight in Madison Square garden, when he fought in the main event. I became the number 1 contender, but the crowd booed me, because they didn't want their hero to be locked up in a cage with me. That's when I told them that they are only 6 million and there are 150 million of us and we'll se who's the best.
This was also a competition between two cultures. His culture and my culture, how I hold my self and his behavior. People were very interested in this. And of course the incident that is up until now unheard of in martial arts, what they did in Brooklyn when they attacked the bus. They could have killed two people, one could have been blinded since he got glass in his eyes and another one was cut by the glass. Whole world watched this. And you know what, I was upset by the UFC about how they promoted this fight. That they used the bus incident to sell the fight. I asked god to let us be locked up in that cage so we could find out "who is who". Who is really sitting scared on the bus and who doesn't.
Q: Let's take a look at the incident and how it all happened (They play the bus video 21:11). So this is how it started. I understand that if this provocation would have worked and if you would have gotten of that bus...
A: It's good that we got an end to this story and you all saw the end. Secondly let me comment this whole situation.
ALERT: INTERESTING STUFF BELOW
I had a camp consisting of 20 people with me (for the Iaquinta fight). We have rented our own bus go get to practice and back. You know what's interesting? UFC told me that day that I must ride alone for the media day. So I didn't go with my team, I went with all the fighters from the "red corner". I had with me two people, one of my guys and my manager. (22:28 Khabib points to the footage) Look at this carefully, the bus is going out and all of a sudden it stops and backs up. Why? We were almost out. Now you see that the crowd is running at us. What is the bus driver doing? He is suppose to just get out of here, but he stops and goes back.
I have many questions about that whole situation. I don't know if UFC planned this or not. So they started attacking the bus from all sides, there were about 20 of them. And there were about 10 guards from UFC and most of them are going after Conor. I'm about 70% certain that it was all planned by the UFC. I wanted to get out, this is confirmed by all the fighters that were on the bus. This whole incident lasted about 1,5 - 2 minutes.
This incident leaves me with a lot of questions.
I would like to point another thing out. In the 2013 me and him we texted each other. I even still have this conversation, we communicated normally. So when this all happened, if he would have wanted to find me, why didn't he text me? He could have told me, hey you stepped over the line and we need to sort some thing out. Well now you flew out here, why do you come to brawl with cameras. He actually came with his own cameras. He has a whole PR-team that follows him around and films him.
Another thing is that his was at the Barkleys center, it is huge, it's a 20 000 people arena. How could they have known where we were at that time? That's the first question. The second question is who let them inside the arena, when 20-30 angry people walk inside the arena The UFC staff should have stopped them, since Conor didn't have any business being at that Media-Day event. What are they doing here? Who are they looking for? Nobody know. UFC staff just escorts them through a bunch of corridors straight to out bus. You know, many people think I'm dumb because I'm an athlete, but I am also educated and my brain functions well. During my 15 years in fighting I haven't taken to many punches. So my brain functions well and I'm able to think for my self.
Q: This was also filmed by different cameras and different angles..
A: Of course.
Update 2, Khabib's evaluation of post fight brawl, discussions with UFC, situation about his teammates who lost their UFC contracts:
Khabib talk about his Sambo background, his reception in Dagestan and some other fluff. It was interesting, but I will not bother translating.
They discuss his fame and that so many people admire him and so on...
A: I feel that everyone has right to make mistakes, but I don't have that right anymore.
Q: The things that happened after the fight. Was it a mistake?
A: Deep down inside I feel it was a mistake. What ever happens, we shouldn't behave like them (Conor's team). But after all I wanted to let them know... I don't know... I have conflicting feeling about this, but I am leaning towards that this was a mistake.
Q (48:42) Question from boxing champion Svetlana Andreeva: I would also like to express my feeling about the fight because I rooted for you and wished you a positive outcome in the fight. One thing that worries me is your friend Zuba (Zubaira Tukhugov) and the other guys from your team. What is happening with them at the moment?
A: I have voiced my terms to them (UFC). Can you imagine this, you are going to war, and a man who follows you to harm has been harmed. You have won the war, you can go home and take a sleep, but that man who followed you is still harmed. That's not how a man acts and it's not how I act. I told them that if you want to ban him, fire him or whatever, you are going to loose me 100%.
Q: So that's your big announcement, the ultimatum, where you say that either they clear your friend and sparring partner, or you are leaving the UFC together?
A (50:01): You know, I think that a man, and this is a little sad, not always has a chance to distinguish himself. To show the person that you are and the values that you represent. To be a man in our day and age is very hard. I told them... they already started to negotiate my next fight... I told them no, wait, slow down. You punished my team and you want me to negotiate with you? That will never happen. This is what we will do, everything is going to be alright with my team. Because we didn't start this, we ended this. Don't get the stuff confused. We are Sambo guys, Sambo stands for Samooborona biz oruzhiya (Self defense without weapons), we didn't come with weapons. We went out against guys who are as prepared and well trained as we are and stood up for our honor. And now you pay them off, give them their purse, money and send them home and try to push all the blame on our team? This will never happen.
If you want to... don't want to curse... but if you do bad things like this. We will not partake in this, handle your business do whatever you want, but don't call me about the next fight. Until you sort out all the problems of my team, my brothers, don't call me at all. (BAD ASS!)
Update 3 (FINAL), Oprah moments
Now I have watched the whole thing. The last part is not about UFC, it's more about Khabib's views on different things, about childhood, about him building a school and kindergarten in his home village, they invited his childhood friends to tell about Khabib.
I've picked out a couple of interesting stuff.
One guy in the crowd mentions an article that some newspaper wrote about Khabib not being Russian since he is living in California and not coming back to Russia:
A (1:03:18): I have come here to talk about my fight and not some statements written in some newspaper. If you have run out of subjects and you want to discuss things that are unpleasant to me, you are mistaken. I won't do it.
(They try to ask some other question because there is some awkward energy, to diffuse the situation. Khabib comes back to the subject later)
A (1:04:32): The thing you discussed before. Some newspaper says I'm not Russian, I'm Dagestani, I live in California somewhere. I'm not going to discuss this stuff, I live in the mountains of Dagestan. I have a house there, we're building another house at the moment. I know who I am. Whatever I say, there will always be people who dislike me, and they will be taking stabs at me. I will say one thing, I have a Russian passport, so leave those provocational questions be.
(They are discussing childhood and his childhood friends. One of the guys told a story about how he and Khabib met and that they first got into a fight. He was 3 years older and hit Khabib since they were a big family and he describes that people talked about "the 800 brother". This guy was annoyed and hit Khabib. Khabib and one of his brothers attacked the guy and kicked his ass. After that they became friends)
A (1:13:16): You know in 1998 my father moved from our village to the city (Makhachkala, capital of Dagestan). We were 16 brothers. Some were going to school, some to university and some were studying in college. We had army discipline in the house. And because of this, like he's saying 800 brothers, we were very tight knit. We had a day to day schedules, we had guys who were "in charge" duty. We had no mother or sisters who could help around the house, we did it all by ourselves. We lived like this for 11 years inside 1 house. From this house we have 5 world champions, a UFC champion and a father who is an distinguished Russian coach.
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