Conor McGregor reignites Khabib Nurmagomedov feud with brutal legacy assessment

Conor McGregor has reignited his long-standing rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov by dismissing the retired fighter's legacy, claiming the unbeaten Russian accomplished little across 13 UFC bouts. Speaking to Complex, McGregor asserted that Nurmagomedov faced only three named opponents and refused to include him on his greatest-of-all-time list. The Irishman, who submitted to Nurmagomedov in their 2018 title clash at UFC 229, attributed the loss to poor conditioning and lifestyle choices—claiming he was partying on a yacht, dealing with legal issues, and recovering from a broken toe when they fought. "I hadn't fought in two years. I was worth $200 million. I come back and fight this fucking guy, I done four rounds with him," McGregor said. "This guy is nothing. Then, where is he now also? He's gone." That 2018 showdown at UFC 229 remains the highest-selling UFC pay-per-view ever. Nurmagomedov (29-0) dominated the bout, forcing McGregor to tap via face crank in round four, then defended his lightweight title twice more before retiring in 2020. McGregor (22-6) has won only once since—a 2020 victory over Donald Cerrone—followed by consecutive losses to Dustin Poirier, the latter breaking his leg. He returns July 11 at UFC 329 against Max Holloway (27-9) in a welterweight bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.