Khabib Nurmagomedov admits Conor McGregor fight changed his life

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Khabib Nurmagomedov isn't the biggest fan of Conor McGregor, but he can still admit that the Irishman did a lot to change his life inside and outside the sport.

'The Eagle' went out on top, finishing his career undefeated and as one of the greatest to ever do it. Now spending his time coaching some of the UFC's best, the Dagestani plans to hang up his hypothetical gloves once his students retire; though all of his success may not have been possible without McGregor.

During a recent interview, Khabib Nurmagomedov confirmed that the mega-fight against Conor McGregor changed his trajectory in the sport.

"I fought Michael Johnson in 2016," Khabib said, "Conor McGregor fought [Eddie] Alvarez. Conor Defended the belt and I wanted to fight him."

"Then there was big talk that we were going to fight. Everywhere I was, everywhere they were discussing the Khabib and Conor fight."

"I realized that there were big and high-profile fights ahead of me, where I needed to train harder.

"This motivated me to train even more and more correctly. To take time not only for the physical [side] but also for the mental."

"I changed a lot after this fight."

Related: Khabib Nurmagomedov renews conflict with Conor McGregor after fiery Ireland comment

Khabib continued, insisting that the road to wanting to become one of the best was a tough one.

"There were times when I didn't miss a training session in a year. I thought how cool it would be when I became a champion."

"Then I realized that I could make it all happen and become the best fighter in the world."

"Psychologically, it affected me a lot. It was hard. I didn't have a personal life. I realized that there was no way back and I had to choose."

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's full confession on how Conor McGregor helped shape his career in the video below.