The Dubliner has once again taken aim at his Russian rival online
McGregor has a lingering rivalry with the Russian. © Jeff Bottari / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Former UFC champion Conor McGregor has responded online after fierce rival Khabib Nurmagomedov referenced one of the Irishman’s trademark lines during a recent interview.
McGregor, who was defeated by unbeaten Russian star Nurmagomedov in a chaotic contest back in 2018, took to Twitter to address his foe after Khabib was asked during a speaking engagement to describe the success that his fight team has enjoyed in recent weeks.
Khabib’s longtime friend and training partner Islam Makhachev defeated former champ Charles Oliveira by submission a month ago this week to claim the UFC lightweight title previously lorded over by Khabib, while his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov also won the Bellator lightweight world title in a comprehensive performance against the experienced Patricky ‘Pitbull’ Freire last weekend.
At the aforementioned public appearance in Toronto, Khabib borrowed one of McGregor’s greatest hits to explain that his training partners are here to dominate their divisions indefinitely.
“I hear long time ago when one guy was talking about ‘We’re here to take over,’” Khabib said. “But we here to take over.”
"I hear long time ago when one guy was talking about, 'We're here to take over.' But we here to take over."Khabib revels in his team holding UFC and Bellator gold. 🦅 Full video: https://t.co/SyqXHL6dqtpic.twitter.com/9aliTHjVc5
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) November 21, 2022
The line was a nod to one uttered by McGregor following his star-making victory against Diego Brandao in his home city of Dublin in 2014, in which he said that he and his SBG Ireland team weren’t in the UFC “just to take part” but rather to “take over.”
And this certainly didn’t sit well with McGregor, who took to Twitter to compose his riposte.
“I fight on!” he wrote in response to the video clip of Nurmagomedov in a since-deleted Tweet.
“Your father’s plan is never complete because you quit and ran, brother. God bless. I’m still here if you wanna go again. But your fear of defeat means you’ve already lost. Run from it all you want. We all lose in the end. Death takes us all. I fear nothing but God.”
Conor McGregor to Khabib Nurmagomedov on Twitter, Nov 21 2022 © Twitter / Twitter / @TheNotoriousMMA
However, it appears that McGregor will be disappointed if he truly is pursuing a rematch with Khabib after the Russian star confirmed in the same speaking engagement that he has no plans to return to the cage, and that he is more than happy with being a full-time MMA coach for the likes of Makhachev and Usman Nurmagomedov – continuing the job started by his late father and trainer, Abdulmanap.
The fight between Khabib and McGregor, which took place in Las Vegas in October 2018, was the most-watched UFC fight card of all time and ended when Khabib submitted McGregor in the fourth round with a neck crank.
The drama continued after the final bell when Nurmagomedov jumped from the cage to attack members of McGregor’s training staff, while other fighters associated with Khabib entered the Octagon to brawl with McGregor – with the Nevada Athletic Commission handing out a series of fines and suspensions in the aftermath.
McGregor remains inactive in mixed martial arts while he completes his recovery from a badly broken leg sustained in his summer 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier.
