Eight years since Conor McGregor bus attack on Khabib Nurmagomedov

Eight years ago this week, Conor McGregor stormed the Barclays Center loading dock in Brooklyn and hurled a hand truck through the window of a bus carrying Khabib Nurmagomedov and several other UFC fighters, creating one of the most chaotic and widely discussed moments in the sport's history. The incident took place ahead of UFC 223 and left multiple fighters injured, with some forced off the card entirely.

McGregor, known as "The Notorious," was 29 at the time and already one of the most recognizable athletes in combat sports. Now 37, the southpaw Irishman out of SBG Ireland carries a professional record of 22-6-0 and competes at a frame of five-foot-nine with a 74-inch reach. He averages 5.32 significant strikes landed per minute at a 49 percent accuracy rate, numbers that reflect the sharp, high-output striking that made him a two-division champion.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was on that bus, was already a dominant lightweight contender at the time of the attack and would go on to capture and unify the UFC lightweight title at UFC 223 that same weekend. Now retired at 37, "The Eagle" finished his career with a perfect 29-0-0 record, representing Russia and training out of Fightspirit Team. His five-foot-ten frame and relentless grappling — averaging 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes — defined an era of lightweight competition.

Why it matters

• The incident led to criminal charges against McGregor and a period of legal proceedings that shaped the months before their eventual October 2018 showdown
• It remains a defining flashpoint in the McGregor-Khabib rivalry, which culminated in one of the most-watched fights in UFC history
• The footage resurfaced widely on the anniversary, illustrating how deeply the moment is embedded in MMA's cultural memory