McGregor dismisses Khabib's UFC legacy as built on just three named opponents

Conor McGregor has taken fresh aim at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legacy, telling Complex that the retired lightweight champion built his unbeaten UFC record against largely anonymous opposition — and insisting he was far from peak condition when Nurmagomedov submitted him in the fourth round at UFC 229 in October 2018.

“That guy’s done nothing in the sport. 13 fights he’s had in the company, that’s it. And three against named opponents,” McGregor said. He added that he had been “partying heavily” on his yacht, was deep in legal battles, and was carrying a broken toe three weeks before the fight. “I hadn’t fought in two years. I was worth $200 million. I come back and fight this f*cking guy, I done four rounds with him… This guy is nothing. Then, where is he now also? He’s gone.”

The remarks reopen one of MMA’s most combustible rivalries. In the lead-up to their 2018 bout, McGregor infamously hurled a hand truck at a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other fighters after Khabib had confronted his teammate Artem Lobov. McGregor also made repeated crude comments about Nurmagomedov’s family and religion throughout the build-up.

Nurmagomedov (29-0) won the fight by fourth-round submission via face crank, setting a record for the highest-selling UFC pay-per-view of all time. He defended the lightweight title twice more before retiring in 2020 with a perfect record intact.

McGregor (22-6), meanwhile, has not won a UFC fight since a first-round stoppage of Donald Cerrone in January 2020. Back-to-back defeats to Dustin Poirier in 2021 — the second of which resulted in a broken leg — have kept him out of competition since. He is now scheduled to return at welterweight against Max Holloway (27-9) at UFC 329 on 11 July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.