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More than six years have passed since Khabib Nurmagomedov dominated Conor McGregor at UFC 229, but for McGregor, the rivalry seems far from over. The Irish fighter continues to take shots at Khabib and his family, a fixation that Usman Nurmagomedov believes stems from his inability to move past that crushing defeat.
McGregor’s latest antics surfaced after Paul Hughes, who suffered a tough loss to Usman at a recent PFL event in Dubai, showed respect to Khabib and his team. Hughes’ gesture stood in stark contrast to McGregor’s repeated verbal attacks on the Nurmagomedov family. Rather than acknowledge Hughes' sportsmanship, McGregor turned on his fellow Irishman for attempting to make peace with the Dagestani camp.
Usman Nurmagomedov, the current Bellator lightweight champion, didn’t hold back when discussing McGregor’s ongoing obsession.
“Maybe because Khabib kicked his ass,” Usman told MMA Fighting. “He wants a rematch but he has to live with this all his life and his kids have to live with this all his life.”
McGregor’s career has taken a downward spiral since his loss to Khabib in 2018. He has fought just three times since, posting a 1-2 record, with his last bout ending in a gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier in 2021. Meanwhile, Khabib successfully defended his title two more times before retiring in 2020, fulfilling a promise to his mother following the passing of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
Usman believes McGregor’s entire legacy has been overshadowed by that infamous loss, preventing him from moving forward.
“He has to live with this and pass with this,” Usman said. “All his family, all his legacy, all this, is around this. He lost to Khabib when had to win. But it [did not] happen. Khabib smashed his face, his team, and all for what he was working [for].”
As McGregor continues to make headlines for reasons outside the cage, Khabib’s family remains focused on their ever-growing legacy. Usman credits their success to his uncle Abdulmanap, whose influence still resonates through fighters like Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, and himself.
“Khabib’s legacy continues,” Usman said. “We’re not calling this Khabib’s legacy. We’re calling this Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s legacy because of him, he began this.”
Despite the heated rivalry between their respective countries, Usman has no personal animosity toward Paul Hughes. He acknowledged that the "Dagestan vs. Ireland" angle was simply a way to promote the fight, helping fill the Coca-Cola Arena and generating worldwide interest.
“Before fight, I said Paul Hughes is not a bad guy,” Usman stated. “I met with him in Dubai, and he’s not a bad guy. He’s not some shit guy. He’s a good guy. But we have to promote this fight.”
As McGregor remains fixated on the past, Usman and his family continue building upon their dominant legacy—one fight at a time.