Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor’s feud is still alive and well. The Russian criticized McGregor for his training methods ahead of his bout against Dustin Poirier.
Following McGregor’s TKO loss to Dustin Poirier last night, many pro fighters were surprised by the result of the fight and shocked to see McGregor get knocked out for the first time of his career.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was on the opposite end of the spectrum. He stated that this loss was a result of McGregor’s recent training habits and that he wasn’t grounded in reality.
“This is what happened, when you change your team, leave the sparring partners who made you a champion and sparring with little kids, far away from reality.”
This is what happened, when you change your team, leave the sparring partners who made you a champion and sparring with little kids, far away from reality.
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) January 24, 2021
Nurmagomedov has a history with men in the main event of UFC 257. His world-known feud with Conor McGregor culminated at UFC 229 when he submitted the Irishman in the fourth round. He then went on to leap out of the cage and attack his teammate Dillon Danis.
Nurmagomedov also faced Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 and submitted him with a rear-naked choke in the third round. The lead up to the fight was very respectful and both fighters are still on good terms to this day.
But it seems as if Nurmagomedov’s beef with McGregor wasn’t squashed at UFC 229. Considering Nurmagomedov’s retirement, it is very unlikely to see them face off again. But McGregor has been begging for a rematch for years now.
When he was asked about Khabib’s comment during his post-fight interview, McGregor dared the Russian to back up his words with actions and face him again.
“My team has been with me since day one,” McGregor said at the post-fight presser. “I have not changed anything. It is what it is. Respect the athletes and that’s the character of the man for sure, behind the mask. Whatever. What’s he want to do? Does he want to come back or not? Cause he’s not throwing no leg kicks. I got up off the ground against Dustin and I turned Dustin. Looks at little pockets of that sequence. Like I said, styles make fights. Every fight is a different fight.
“That’s why all this prestige and all that people try to hold onto. I don’t hold onto that. Whether someone has multiple wins or multiple losses. Every fight between every man is different and that’s it. Dustin’s style just played into it today and he has the durability, he has the experience and he has leg kick now in his arsenal. I’ll adjust and keep going.”
It would be very surprising to see Khabib come back to the octagon considering his mentality and the money he’s made over the years. But if he did come back and McGregor stays active in the meantime, a rematch would not be the most far-fetched idea.