UFC welterweight reacts to possibility of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov coming face-to-face at Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Paul Hughes
It seems we'll get a new chapter in the storied rivalry of Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Though it may have fizzled out in the past few years, the beef may get revisited at PFL: Road to Dubai - Champions Series on Jan. 25. Nurmagomedov's protege and cousin, Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, defends his belt against McGregor's fellow Irishman Paul Hughes.
According to reports, 'The Notorious' agreed to travel to Dubai to corner Hughes. This means there's a high possibility that the Irishman will come face-to-face with his bitter rival, who's been seen in Nurmagomedov's corner on more than one occasion.
@DovySimuMMA reported the news on X:
UFC welterweight standout and former Jiu-jitsu world champion Gilbert 'Durinho' Burns reposted the same with just a set of emojis:
"👀👀👀👀👀"
We echo Burns' sentiments here. Though this is not a fight between McGregor and Nurmagomedov, the two being in close proximity would be something to see. Given their bitter history, most are expecting tension between the two, but we also welcome the possibility of the two burying the hatchet. We'll just have to wait and see.
Revisiting the storied rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov
Back in 2018, Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov were in one of the most documented and watched rivalries not just in MMA, but in all of sports. After embarking on a one-fight stint in boxing against all-time great Floyd Mayweather Jr., Nurmagomedov won the UFC lightweight title that the Irishman dropped due to a lengthy absence.
Tensions flared when Nurmagomedov confronted and intimidated McGregor's then-cohort and teammate, Artem Lobov, while 'The Notorious' wasn't present. The Irish superstar, together with a bunch of friends, retaliated by storming the arena of UFC 223, violently attacking the fighter bus with Nurmagomedov inside.
The incident was then followed by a bizarre and controversial pre-fight press conference, where Conor McGregor showed up drinking his Proper No.12 Irish Whiskey and spouting some borderline offensive quips that were considered low even by his standards.
The bout finally happened at UFC 229, becoming the most-watched MMA event of all time, pulling 2.4 million PPV buys in the United States alone. In an exciting, nail-biting contest, Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor with a modified face crank to defend his belt.
The immediate aftermath made more headlines than the fight, however, as Nurmagomedov jumped the cage fence and attacked MgGregor's cornerman Dillon Danis, ensuing a massive brawl. Fines, suspensions, and firings were made after the incident, possibly marring the historic nature of the event.