Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor starred in the fiercest rivalry ever seen in the world of MMA. ‘The Notorious’ was the UFC’s biggest superstar and simultaneous double champion – featherweight and lightweight – back in 2016, but during his move to boxing to face Floyd Mayweather, the figure of ‘The Eagle’ emerged. When McGregor wanted to return, Khabib was the 155-pound champion, which led to a feud that went beyond sport and ended with the Dagestani submitting the Irishman in 2018.
This was the downfall of McGregor’s career, and he was never the same again. Since then, ‘The Notorious’ has only fought three more times, losing two of them. In fact, he has not fought since 2021, when he suffered a serious injury at the end of his trilogy with Dustin Poirier. Parties, alcohol, accusations of sexual assault… Conor has been in the news for many things in recent years, most of them bad for his image.
Allah always gives us the opportunity to return… No matter how bad you are
However, the Irishman recently posted an image in which he confirmed that he is back in the testing pool, and that he had already been subjected to a doping control, so in a few months he could return to the octagon. His target: the White House card in 2026.
Despite being arch-enemies, Khabib believes in the redemption of people, and McGregor is no exception. “Allah always gives us the opportunity to return… No matter how bad you are. I think he has a chance and he has to change his way of living,” he said in a chat with the Miftaah Institute.
An example to follow
The reason they get along so badly is that, during their rivalry, Conor crossed several lines that he should not have crossed. He made fun of Khabib’s religion, his family, he even attacked a bus in which the Dagestani was and semi-ruined a UFC card… For ‘The Notorious’, anything went to exalt his character. He was fully immersed in the superstar movie.
If he changes, he can change many other lives too
Despite all this, ‘The Eagle’ knows that McGregor is the most media-friendly fighter in the company’s history, with all that that entails. Therefore, a change in his lifestyle could bring very positive things to a society in which many see him as a role model. “If he changes, he can change many other lives with him too. That’s why I wish he would change himself,” he concluded
For obvious reasons, Khabib and McGregor will never be friends, but the Dagestani fighter does believe that the Irishman can make a 180-degree turn to the situation he is currently experiencing. At the moment, the first step would be to return to proper training and retire on a high note from the UFC. At 37 years of age, he has two fights left on his contract, and the White House would be a dream finale for a fighter who wasted his prime through his own mistakes.
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