Former UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor is known for using mind games and trash-talking to unsettle his opponents. He employed a similar strategy ahead of the infamous UFC 229 bout against the UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Remarkably, ‘The Eagle’ appeared nearly immune to McGregor’s verbal jabs, and it seemed to fuel the Dagestani’s determination to defeat him. Now, five years following their fight, ‘The Eagle’ reaffirmed his dominance over the Irishman through a recent Instagram story.
Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in the 4th round via submission on October 7th, 2018. Over the years, both fighters have maintained that their rivalry will never end despite the fight. This was evident by the Dagestani’s recent jab at the former UFC double division champion.
Khabib Nurmagomedov deemed Conor McGregor’s trash talk ineffective
McGregor had targeted Nurmagomedov’s family, religion, and teammates during their pre-fight trash talk, which is likely why the rivalry endures. While ‘The Eagle‘ may not be as Instagram-active as the Irishman, he doesn’t shy away from taking jabs at him.
Nurmagomedov recently shared a ‘UFCEURASIA’ reel on his Instagram story with a caption highlighting that when ‘the Eagle’ spoke in the octagon, his opponents didn’t fare well. He wrote:
“There has been a case [Conor McGregor]. But the dialogue never worked out.“
@TeamKhabib latest IG story: Proving once and for all that Conor’s trash talk couldn’t shake his reign. 🥋👑 #UFC #Khabib pic.twitter.com/32LQPsylQm
— Himakshu (@HkV05) September 21, 2023
The undefeated lightweight emphasized in his comments how McGregor tried to unsettle him with his verbal jabs, but these tactics failed to yield any positive results for the Irishman.
A recently released Netflix Documentary on the Irishman ‘McGregor Forever’ revealed that he suffered a terrible foot injury before the fight, meaning that McGregor wasn’t in the best shape before their clash. This was one reason the MMA community eagerly desired a rematch between McGregor and Nurmagomedov. However, the potential match never saw the light of day as the Dagestani fighter reportedly turned down a rematch against the Irishman.
Why did Nurmagomedov refuse McGregor the rematch?
For years McGregor tried to call out ‘The Eagle’ for a rematch with UFC’s support. ‘The Notorious’ was the first fighter to win a round against the undefeated Nurmagomedov. However, the Dagestani was not interested in a rematch with the Irishman.
After his fight with McGregor, ‘The Eagle’ was scheduled to fight Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. During the pre-fight press conference, the former lightweight champion revealed why he was denying McGregor the rematch. He said:
“How he deserve a rematch? Like, he tap. He beg me, ‘Please, don’t kill me.’ Now he talk about rematch?“
The UFC 229 main event, McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov, stands as one of the most significant and highly anticipated bouts in the promotion’s history. The intense rivalry between the two fighters warranted a rematch, but Nurmagomedov’s early and unexpected retirement prevented it from happening. While many speculate that McGregor could have prevailed in a potential second encounter, Nurmagomedov’s legacy and professional record remain untarnished.
