2025 brought in a new take on the rivalry between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, 7 years after their clash at UFC 229. With Usman Nurmagomedov fighting Paul Hughes at Bellator FC, the MMA feud between Ireland and Dagestan commenced once again. On top of that, McGregor kept on dissing the Dagestani team prior to UFC 311, where Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov had to face their opponents with their respective championship belts on the line. That was when ‘The Eagle’ lashed back at ‘The Notorious’ and quoted, “He was talking and we made actions above words.” But now, after about 3 months, the feud between the former UFC champions has risen again.  

This time, the rivalry lit up again as UFC Eurasia took to Instagram and took the world back in time to the moments when Dagestani mixed martial artists finished their opponents in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The caption of the IG post read, “2-3 years Dagestan and forget 😀. Let’s remember the best finished of fighters from Dagestan in the UFC!” And how can one remember the Dagestani dominance without a mention of Nurmagomedov’s submission victory over McGregor? Of course, the list included the likes of Makhachev, Sharaputdin Magomedov, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Umar Nurmagomedov, and others. But the first slide of the cascade post was that of Nurmagomedov’s victory over McGregor at UFC 229. 

Needless to say, UFC 229 was one of the most memorable fights for ‘The Eagle’. After all, the rivalry between him and ‘The Notorious’ was the reason why Nurmagomedov’s popularity boomed after 2018. But the former undefeated Dagestani lightweight champion was a bit too proud of his win, and never really wasted a chance to make McGregor realize the outcome of their bout. And this time was no different. ‘The Eagle’ shared the slide showing him taking control of McGregor’s back and submitting him with an RNC on his IG Story. In the caption, Nurmagomedov wrote, “I know you guys don’t like this )))” 

Of course, this came right after Joe Rogan made a claim about the Irishman’s future in the UFC. In episode #166 of the Joe Rogan Experience MMA Show, Ilia Topuria asked the UFC commentator if McGregor would ever be back. Joe Rogan wasted no time and said, “If I had a bet, no. No. I don’t think he comes back, because he hasn’t come back yet. And he could have if he really wanted to.” Rogan also claimed that McGregor could have rebooked the fight against Michael Chandler after two months. Well, that’s how long it usually takes to heal a broken toe. On top of not fighting, he often engaged in partying and living lavishly instead of getting back to the gym to prepare for his next fight. Needless to say, it’s a dilemma for Dana White.

Adding to the talk of retirement, McGregor has revealed some key facts himself.  At the press conference for BKFC 70, he said, “I’ve got two fights on the contract, and I’m in negotiations. Last week, I went to the White House. My heart bleeds for my country right now, so there’s a lot going on back home. I’m happy with what I have done, you know. There’s something else in my gut right now. And that’s kind of the way I’m going.” Well, he is trying to become the next Irish President. Which means, he won’t be returning to the cage anytime soon.

No doubt, we can expect ‘Mystic Mac’ to lash back at his former opponent and Joe Rogan as soon as he comes across their respective quotes. But until that happens, let’s take a look at the pride that ‘The Eagle’ has for the fighters from his land. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov claims that the Dagestanis are the absolute best

The incident is from Ireland vs. Dagestan 2.0, when Paul Hughes accused the Dagestani camp of using PEDs. He claimed that the land was indeed juicing up, and taking a shot at Nurmagomedov, ‘Big News’ claimed that it was McGregor who made him famous. But ‘The Eagle’ wasn’t going to stay shut after such accusations. He said, “You can say whatever you want, but if we’re talking about facts, you can’t compare Irish fighters with fighters from Dagestan. We dominate amateur MMA, and it’s not even close—not just compared to Irish fighters but the whole world. I’m absolutely confident that if we were to organize a team vs. team matchup, Dagestan would defeat a world team in amateur MMA.”

But he wasn’t done! Nurmagomedov pointed out that every single major league had a Dagestani at the throne or in the top ranks. In the UFC, it was Makhachev who sat on the lightweight throne, with ‘Young Eagle’, Tagir Ulanbekov, and many others claiming the top levels in their respective weight classes. At Bellator, it was Usman Nurmagomedov as the lightweight champion. And in PFL, Gazdi Rabadanov ruled the lightweight division. The former 29-0 lightweight champ continued, “Show me Irish fighters who are currently title contenders in the top 3 MMA promotions. At best, you might be able to name 1 or 2 fighters. The facts speak for themselves.”

Do you think McGregor and Nurmagomedov should fight once again to settle their scores? What are your thoughts on the beef between the Irishman and the Dagestani? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.