More than 100 numbered UFC events have come and gone since Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov shared the Octagon, but their rivalry remains as intense as ever. The pair headlined UFC 229 in October 2018 in what is widely regarded as the biggest fight in MMA history. Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor in the fourth round to retain the lightweight title, improve his unbeaten record to 27-0, and headline the highest-selling pay-per-view event in UFC history with more than 2.4 million buys.
Nurmagomedov would go on to defend his championship against Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 before retiring with a perfect 29-0 record. Yet, as McGregor prepares for his long-awaited return against Max Holloway at UFC 329, the Irishman made it clear that he still doesn’t rate his former rival’s legacy. During a recent interview with Complex, McGregor was asked to share his thoughts on some of the greatest fighters in UFC history.
Unsurprisingly, when Nurmagomedov’s name came up, the former two-division champion launched into another blistering critique of the Dagestani. According to McGregor, the circumstances surrounding their 2018 showdown prevented fans from seeing the best version of him.
He claimed, “The guy done nothing in the sport. 13 fights he’s had in the company, that’s it, and three against named opponents. He had a fight against me, I was off the yacht. I was doing bad things on the yacht. I was partying heavily, and I was up to my eyeballs in court cases and all of this. I hadn’t fought in two years. I was worth $200 million, and I come back and fight this fucking guy.”
McGregor also argued that he entered the fight with significant physical limitations and still managed to push Nurmagomedov deep into the contest. He said, “The man has no courage. The first half of his career was on his father’s shows in the middle of nowhere [Dagestan]. Wherever they’re from. I done four rounds with him. I had a broken toe. I’m sure you seen the Netflix show where I broke my fucking foot three weeks before the bout. This guy’s nothing.”
Conor McGregor went on a long RANT about Khabib Nurmagomedov 😳
“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… pic.twitter.com/4HJEQI5pke
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 8, 2026
Following his victory over Gaethje at UFC 254 in 2020, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement inside the Octagon. The decision came after the death of his father and longtime coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, with the former lightweight champion revealing that he had promised his mother he would never compete again without his father by his side. Despite nearly eight years having passed since their fight, McGregor made it clear that he still harbors resentment toward Nurmagomedov and believes his decision to retire in his prime diminishes his legacy.
He said, “Where is he now also? He’s gone. So I don’t rate him at all. No courage. The man has no courage. The man has succumbed to his pain, and it’s a damn shame. Nothing to say to him. Nothing about him. I don’t rate him.”
The former UFC champion then criticized Nurmagomedov’s resume, arguing that he never sought greater challenges by moving between weight classes and questioning the quality of his early competition. He added, “[Khabib] never fought, missed weight, never fought above weight divisions. Three fights, no stoppages, no knockouts. Come on, how many more knockouts has he got, three or four? You must be mad. His first half of his work was fighting in his father’s shows in the middle of nowhere, wherever they’re from. He’s like 12-0, the opponent he’s fighting is 0-0. This isn’t boxing. I don’t rate him.”
While McGregor was highly critical of his former rival, Nurmagomedov’s accomplishments speak for themselves. The Dagestani retired with a flawless 29-0 professional record and recorded 19 finishes during his career, including submission victories over McGregor, Poirier, and Gaethje in his final three appearances. Since stepping away from competition, Nurmagomedov has established himself as one of MMA’s most respected coaches.
He has played a key role in the careers of reigning welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, along with Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov, and several other top fighters from Dagestan. Although Nurmagomedov has repeatedly ruled out a comeback, McGregor’s latest comments show that one of the UFC’s most bitter rivalries continues to live on long after both men shared the Octagon.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.