While almost seven years have passed since the culmination of their chaotic clash that took place at UFC 229, the intense rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov hasn't died down and reignites every now and then. The tussle relished this week when the Eagle indirectly took a nasty jibe at the Irishman by refusing to acknowledge the upcoming fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Paul Hughes as a second contest between Russia and Ireland. According to Khabib, Ireland does not have any fighters, and the country does not stand a chance in the aspect when compared to Dagestan.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Undermines Irish Fighters
Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov's feud may undoubtedly go down as one of the most unforgettable in the realm of MMA, yet, in the eyes of the Russian, the fight was not enough to bring Ireland at the forefront of the fight world, where Russia holds the pole position.
“I’m absolutely confident that if we were to organize a team vs team matchup, Dagestan would defeat a world team in amateur MMA. And when it comes to professional MMA, we have champions, contenders, and ranked fighters in every major league." Nurmagomedov said in an interview.
“Show me Irish fighters who are currently title contenders in the top 3 MMA promotions. At best, you might be able to name 1 or 2 fighters. The facts speak for themselves,” he continued.
Conor McGregor's Reply To Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Nurmagomedov's claim has caught the attention of Conor McGregor who took to social media to answer his longstanding adversary. This time the Notorious did not use any expletives but rather posted a clip showcasing the contrast between "UFC in the McGregor era" and "UFC in the Dagestan era."
🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/ozBi0NZfiV
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 3, 2025
The clip highlights how McGregor went to finish his opponent each time, whereas Khabib and the current UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev take the fight to the floor and wrestle their opponents out.
The back-and-forth between Khabib and Conor is not a fresh chore, the two have engaged in an indirect verbal scuffle in the past and since the stains of the rivalry will likely never erase, the two will probably continue to take shots at each other in the future as well.