2021. That was the year of Conor McGregor’s last fight. What followed were years of speculation about his comeback, along with several high-profile matchups that never came to fruition. But just a few weeks ago, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the Irishman’s return. And when the news reached Islam Makhachev, the reigning champion set aside years of bad blood between McGregor and the Dagestani camp to acknowledge just how important ‘The Notorious’ remains to the sport.

The former two-division champion is set to headline UFC 329 at International Fight Week, facing former featherweight king and BMF champion Max Holloway in one of the most anticipated fights in recent memory. And Islam Makhachev, who could have easily targeted Conor McGregor, surprised many fans by inviting the Irish superstar back into the sport.

“Yeah, it’s good, it’s good,” Makhachev told UFC on TNT Sports. “(He’s) a big name in our sport, but he has a tough opponent. Max Holloway against Conor, I think Max can beat him.”

Now that’s a response that’ll catch any fight fans off-guard, because the rivalry between McGregor and Makhachev stretches back years. Since Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor at UFC 229, the welterweight champion has consistently defended ‘The Eagle’ while criticizing the former double champion.

Meanwhile, the Irishman has often ridiculed Islam Makhachev and the Dagestani team on social media, claiming that their wrestling-heavy approach lacked excitement compared to his own. Yet despite all that history, the Dagestani phenom appears capable of separating personal feelings from business.

He recognizes that Conor McGregor’s return is one of the UFC’s greatest stories in years. After all, ‘The Notorious’ introduced an entire generation of fans to MMA, and UFC 329 is already shaping up to be one of the biggest pay-per-views in recent history.

That doesn’t mean Makhachev is picking him to win, however. The champion joins a growing group of those who believe Max Holloway is an incredibly difficult opponent. Interestingly, Conor McGregor’s longtime striking coach, Owen Roddy, holds a similar view, as he too sees this bout as a major challenge for the Irishman.

“He’s got that fire,” he told Dublin Dialogues. “It’s a tough fight, so that’s what brings out the best in Conor because he’s saying to himself, ‘This is a f—–, this is a challenge,’ so he’s switched on.

“They’ve fought before. They have some experience with each other. That was a long time ago, but yeah, it’s very exciting, and it’s great to be back on the mats. Great to be game planning. Great to be breaking down Max and looking for the holes.”

Still, there are reasons to believe Conor McGregor can pull it off. Holloway will compete at 170 pounds for the first time in his career, whereas ‘The Notorious’ has spent years developing a considerably larger frame since his featherweight days. That size difference might become one of the biggest storylines whenever the two finally enter the cage.

For now, though, Islam Makhachev’s message was surprisingly simple. The UFC is better when Conor McGregor is involved. He just isn’t convinced the comeback story will have a happy ending against Max Holloway. But despite where his prediction stands, his stance on the return alone has earned the respect of fight fans.

UFC fans are all praise for Islam Makhachev welcoming the return of Conor McGregor

Given all that has happened between the McGregor and Nurmagomedov camps over the years, many fans expected Islam Makhachev to dismiss Conor McGregor’s return outright. Instead, the 34-year-old’s surprisingly respectful response ended up earning praise across social media.

For many, it showed that Makhachev was looking at the bigger picture rather than revisiting old rivalries, as one fan put it, “At the end of the day, Islam knows it was just business.”

Another even suggested that the admiration may go back further than people realize, writing, “Even Khabib was a fan of McGregor at one point, so Islam probably was too.”

Others went a step further and argued that the Dagestani phenom has always respected certain aspects of Conor McGregor’s fighting style despite the bad blood between their teams.

“I think deep down he’s always admired McGregor, considering they’re both southpaws,” one fan wrote.

Another joked: “We are in a bizarre timeline where Islam is low-key admiring Conor even after all the bad blood between their camps.”

Of course, plenty of fans also viewed Makhachev’s comments through a business lens, with one reaction reading: “Islam knows Conor coming back sells PPVs regardless of the result. Good for the sport is code for good for the numbers.”

And honestly, that seemed to be the dominant sentiment. Love him or hate him, many fans still view McGregor as the biggest draw the sport has ever produced. “Love him or hate him, he’s sold out T-Mobile twice as fast as any fighter on the roster could even dream of doing,” one fan wrote.

Another added: “We all know that without Conor the fight game wasn’t the same.”

Perhaps the most interesting reaction came from a fan who pointed out McGregor’s global impact, adding, “Everyone who fights in Dagestan knows Conor changed everyone’s lives forever over there.”

Judging by the reaction online, Islam Makhachev acknowledging that reality may have earned him almost as much respect as the prediction itself.