​Conor McGregor continues to launch sharp critiques of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legacy, reviving their long-running rivalry and reigniting talk about who sits at the top of the all-time list. In their first and only meeting, Nurmagomedov handed McGregor a submission defeat in the UFC 229 lightweight title bout, a fight that not only decided the championship but also became the promotion’s highest-grossing pay-per-view. Their uneasy history exploded after the octagon when the two exchanged barbs and, in McGregor’s eyes, cross-border provocations, prompting him to take aim at Nurmagomedov’s career arc and accomplishments.
In a recent interview with Complex, McGregor dismissed Nurmagomedov’s footprint in the sport, arguing that his rival’s résumé doesn’t measure up to what many fans and analysts consider elite. “The guy did nothing in the sport,” McGregor said, suggesting that Nurmagomedov’s career in the UFC consisted of just 13 appearances and a handful of notable opponents. He recounted his own circumstances at the time of their fight—being away from competition for two years, billions in the bank, and a turbulent personal life marked by high-profile legal battles—and framed Nurmagomedov as someone who hadn’t earned the kind of respect McGregor believes a true all-time great should command. “I’d just come back from a yacht trip and a period of partying,” McGregor said, describing how the circumstances surrounded their clash. “I fought this f—ing guy, after all that.” He claimed to have fought Nurmagomedov with a broken toe, referencing a Netflix series that depicted his foot injury weeks before the bout, and concluded that Nurmagomedov is “nothing,” lacking courage and the resilience he expects from someone who has reached legendary status in the sport. “The man has succumbed to his pain, and it is a damn shame. I have nothing to say to him, nothing to say about him. I don’t rate him.”
McGregor didn’t stop at downplaying Nurmagomedov’s UFC record; he questioned the pre-UFC phase of Nurmagomedov’s career, arguing that the Russia-born fighter never challenged himself in different weight classes and lacked the kind of dominance he associates with a true great. “Never fought, missed weight, never fought above weight divisions,” McGregor asserted. He claimed Nurmagomedov fought sparingly, with “three fights, no stoppages, no knockouts,” and dismissed the notion that his submission specialist’s achievements equate to a towering legacy. “How many knockouts has he got? Three or four? You must be mad if I’m going to waste my time watching this stuff,” he added. He also referenced Nurmagomedov’s early career, suggesting that much of his success came from fighting in smaller, more obscure venues and under conditions that didn’t mirror the intensity of the upper echelons of boxing or mixed martial arts. “This isn’t boxing. I don’t rate him,” McGregor stated bluntly.
Looking ahead, McGregor placed another fighter above Nurmagomedov in the pantheon of all-time greats. He singled out Islam Makhachev, Nurmagomedov’s former teammate and current UFC welterweight champion, as superior in the conversation about the greatest fighters. “He’s above Khabib,” McGregor said, highlighting Makhachev’s finishes and body of work across divisions as evidence that the current lightweight contender represents a higher caliber. “There’s a lot left in that boy, and he should recognize that and keep going. I have him above both his teammates,” McGregor added, signaling that his respect remains with Makhachev’s ongoing career and potential.
As McGregor shifts focus, he is preparing for a return in the Octagon, aiming to rematch Max Holloway in a high-stakes lineup. The welterweight main event at UFC 329, held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, features Holloway against a returning McGregor, with the fight broadcast on Paramount+. The bout promises to add another chapter to McGregor’s storied career and to keep Nurmagomedov’s legacy a frequent topic of debate among fans, commentators, and bettors who relish the continuing chess match of who deserves the title of the greatest fighter of all time. This report originates from MMA Junkie, noting McGregor’s provocative assessment that Nurmagomedov “done nothing in the sport,” and suggesting that Makhachev’s ongoing career could redefine the hierarchy of all-time greatness in MMA.