‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor is watching back some of his older fights and offering his thoughts on his performances. This Irish superstar recently Tweeted about his UFC lightweight world championship showdown against ‘The Eagle’ Khabib Nurmagomedov.
During this bout, while McGregor was being held on his back, he launched a knee and landed it on Nurmagomedov who was on top but still a grounded fighter. Kicks and knees to grounded opponents are illegal, even if the offending fighter is also on the ground.
Conor McGregor first Tweeted a name for this maneuver, he said:
“I call this knee strike “the springbok” Remember reebok? Ye well this is springbok. You ever see a springbok jump? Well just have a look at that knee springbok into this eye sock hahahaja I’m the goat of unseen shots. That’s without question. God bless the dead.”
Conor McGregor admits ‘Springbok’ knee was illegal
UFC commentator Joe Rogan did point out that this knee was illegal. The referee Herb Dean did not stop the action or issue a warning when it happened.
McGregor admits that this knee attack was illegal, but still beautiful. He explained:
“The knee into the eye socket was illegal yes, from this position. A beauty tho. Never before seen shot. Like many of my shots. I use the mount defence leg as a spring board, loading the knee below it. Release and straight to the eye socket. Smashed it in! @joerogan.”
The knee into the eye socket was illegal yes, from this position. A beauty tho. Never before seen shot. Like many of my shots.
I use the mount defence leg as a spring board, loading the knee below it. Release and straight to the eye socket. Smashed it in! @joerogan. Hey Danapic.twitter.com/qZAcbbuIHS
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 22, 2020
“’That was an illegal knee on the head of a grounded opponent.’ “Shut up, Joe, you little fool. What are you talking about ‘smash this and smash that’? I was smashing my knee into his f***ing eye socket, yeah? ‘That’s a knee to a grounded opponent, call the cops.’”