In the history of MMA, there have been several intense and intriguing rivalries between fighters. One of the most notable rivalries is that between former UFC champions Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. Recently, there has been a development that suggests the fighting community might see this historic rivalry rekindled, albeit in a different capacity.
Following his retirement from the UFC, Khabib Nurmagomedov has made a successful transition into coaching. He currently trains several promising fighters, including the notable Usman Nurmagomedov, who is the reigning Bellator lightweight champion and Khabib’s cousin. He has consistently supported Usman throughout his career, and emphasized his involvement in his cousin’s upcoming fight.
Usman Nurmagomedov will face Irish MMA star Paul Hughes in his next fight. Following this announcement, the public expressed interest in seeing another clash between McGregor and Nurmagomedov. Interestingly, former UFC fighter Khabib also seemed to show his interest by posting an Instagram story. In it, he tagged his brothers and referenced another Dagestan vs. Ireland matchup.
Khabib Nurmagomedov tagging his brothers getting ready for war again referencing McGregor cornering Paul Hughes & Khabib cornering Usman Nurmagomedov 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/6V5jieCruQ
— – (@AIKYGDLT) November 20, 2024
🚨 Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his Bellator lightweight title against Paul Hughes on January 25th in Dubai
“Dagestan vs Ireland 2” 👀👀
(via. @BellatorMMA) pic.twitter.com/T60qn8reOR
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 20, 2024
As for McGregor, he recently expressed his interest in supporting fellow Irish MMA fighter Paul Hughes in his corner. In a recent outburst, he also unleashed a fierce rant aimed at the Nurmagomedov brothers. The animosity between McGregor and Khabib remains evident, largely due to their intense rivalry during their peak UFC careers in 2018.
Revisiting the historic rivalry between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor
The intense rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov brought mixed martial arts (MMA) into the spotlight. McGregor, the Irish fighter, once gathered his team and traveled to New York in search of the Dagestani fighter. This feud led to one of the most notable rivalries in the sport’s history.
Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov fighting (Image via Imago)McGregor and friends attacked the bus that had Nurmagomedov and his teammates in April 2018, causing the rivalry to boil over. This eventually culminated in a heated match between the two at UFC 229. The promotion for the fight featured intense trash-talk from McGregor. However, in the end, the trash-talker was owned by his opponent.
A vastly superior Nurmagomedov comprehensively defeated the Irishman. However, all hell broke loose after the Russian made McGregor tap. The Irishman was attacked inside the cage by Nurmagomedov’s teammates, whereas the ’Eagle’ began unleashing his fury on McGregor’s training partner, Dillon Danis.
Interestingly, the animosity between the fighters still exists even after the fight that took place more than five years ago. The highly anticipated rematch never occurred because Nurmagomedov retired in 2020 with a perfect record. Meanwhile, McGregor is currently looking forward to returning to the octagon in 2025.
