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The feud between Conor McGregor and the 'Khabib Nurmagomedov Clan' could be described as 'The 1000 Years' War'. Since the Irishman and the Dagestani met in 2018, this historic rivalry has extended beyond the sporting arena, largely due to 'The Notorious' constant outbursts against Khabib's entire team. In a recent interview with Match TV, Islam Makhachev has once again rekindled a flame that has never been completely extinguished.
The UFC lightweight champion and pound-for-pound number one did not hesitate to lash out at McGregor for his constant problems in his personal life. Khabib's best friend followed the same line as his teammate, who does not hesitate to criticize the Irishman on social media after each scandal in which he is involved. "The most he can do is hit an old man in a bar, fight with women somewhere, spit at someone. That's the most he can do right now," said Islam. Although in sporting it seems impossible to think of a fight between the two, the Russian has not held back in his statements.
He will never be the same as before the Khabib fight
Since the serious injury suffered by McGregor in July 2021 against Dustin Poirier, the Irishman has still not been able to make a comeback that has been prolonged to the point of questioning whether it will ever happen. 'The Notorious' has won only one fight since 2016, a devastating statistic that speaks for itself. "He will never be the same as before the Khabib fight. All that is happening to him now is that he is having a problem with his head. He can't forget what was in the cage on that day," he said.
A remote retreat
Unlike Khabib, who retired at the age of 32 due to the death of his father, Makhachev has stated that he has no plans to end his career in the short term. At 33, the Dagestani still has several goals to achieve, surely in a higher category to make way in the lightweight division for his teammate Usman Nurmagomedov - PFL lightweight champion, 19-0. "It's not like I see my end, I have goals, there are peaks that I haven't reached yet. And you have to keep working and working harder. Next, we need a second belt," he stresses.
The second belt is my motivation right now
The double championship is Islam's number one goal, even though the current welterweight champion is his friend Belal Muhammad. Although at first both declared that they would respect their friendship, Makhachev finds himself in a complicated position where anything can happen. For him, "the second belt is my motivation right now because I already have the first one. The hunger is not the same when you have a belt and when you don't have a belt. You have to try to be hungry."
In turn, the lightweight monarch also took advantage of the interview to analyze his last title defense against Renato Moicano, whom he submitted in the first round. An injury to Arman Tsarukyan just over a day before the fight forced Makhachev to change opponents, something that has never been a problem for him. "If you've spent three months preparing, who cares who's there? What do you need to change to go against another opponent? You'll see their only fight at most, that's it," he said.
As Abdulmanap said, it doesn't matter where you jump if you're ready
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib's father and mentor of the entire team, always instilled in his pupils that they should not be afraid of anyone. If they prepare properly, it all depends on them. "It doesn't matter who is in front of you, you do your job. It doesn't matter what their style is, what has changed. You have your plan, you have your style. And whoever imposes their style wins. As Abdulmanap said, it doesn't matter where you jump if you're ready," he concluded.