Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was trashed by Conor McGregor ahead of his return this Saturday at UFC 329.
Following a five-year layoff, McGregor steps back into the Octagon this Saturday night at UFC 329 when he battles Max Holloway in a rematch.
While McGregor and Holloway are rivals, it’s nowhere near the rivalry that the Irishman once had with Nurmagomedov.
In October 2018, the two fought at UFC 229 in what was one of the biggest UFC fights of all time. The two despised each other, but in the end, it was Nurmagomedov who got the last laugh when he submitted McGregor in the fourth round of the fight.
Despite being finished in that bout, however, McGregor believes that Nurmagomedov beating him that night doesn’t tell the true tale of what he was going through at the time, as he admitted he was partying hard before the bout and Nurmagomedov did not fight the best version of himself at UFC 229.
Conor McGregor Trashes Khabib Nurmagomedov
Speaking in an interview with Complex ahead of UFC 329, McGregor trashed Nurmagomedov, suggesting that his legacy in the sport was overstated.
“He did nothing in the sport. He fought me off the yacht. I was doing bad things, partying heavily. I hadn’t fought in 2 years and did 4 rounds with him. This guy’s nothing. The man has no courage. The first half of his career was on his father’s shows in the middle of nowhere. Wherever they’re from,” McGregor said.
“He did nothing in the sport. He fought me off the yacht. I was doing bad things, partying heavily. I hadn’t fought in 2 years and did 4 rounds with him. This guy’s nothing.
The man has no courage. The first half
Khabib Nurmagomedov Walked Away Too Soon
With a perfect 29-0 MMA record, including a pristine 13-0 record in the UFC, Nurmagomedov is one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history; there’s no question about it.
However, he did walk away too soon, as he only defended the UFC lightweight title three times before he retired in 2020.
Yes, Nurmagomedov’s reasons for retiring are sound, as he promised his family he would walk away from the sport. But when you are talking about the shortlist of the MMA GOATs, there were other fighters who had more title defenses that are above him on the all-time list despite his perfect record inside the Octagon.
Still, while McGregor won’t give him any credit for beating him that night, there’s no doubt that Nurmagomedov was the better fighter at UFC 229, as he not only submitted McGregor, but he actually dropped him with a big punch earlier in the fight before stopping him on the mat.
Conor McGregor Trashes Khabib Nurmagomedov Before UFC 329