Conor McGregor Launches Scathing Attack on Khabib Nurmagomedov “He Did Nothing in the Sport”
During a recent interview with Complex, Conor McGregor did not hold back when the conversation turned to his former rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Irish superstar launched into an extended and highly critical rant, dismissing Khabib’s achievements, questioning his fighting style, and casting doubt on the Dagestani fighter’s overall legacy in mixed martial arts.
McGregor began by criticizing what he sees as a limited and uninspiring approach inside the cage. “Can’t even kick above their fucking knee. Can’t even touch their feet. That isn’t martial arts, that is nothing to me,” he said with clear disdain. For McGregor, the style that carried Khabib to an undefeated record and a UFC lightweight title simply does not qualify as true martial arts in his eyes.
He quickly moved from technique to accomplishments, claiming that Khabib failed to make a meaningful mark on the sport despite his success. “Come on, the guy done nothing in the sport. He done nothing in the sport. 13 fights he’s had in the company, that’s it. And three against named opponents,” McGregor stated. In his view, the number of high-level tests Khabib faced inside the UFC was simply too low to build a lasting legacy.
McGregor then contrasted Khabib’s path with the circumstances surrounding their own fight at UFC 229. He reminded listeners that he stepped into the cage after a long layoff filled with personal struggles. “He had a fight against me coming off of, I was off to you! I was doing bad things on a yacht, yeah? I was partying heavily, and I was looking my eyeballs in court cases and all of this. I hadn’t fought in two years, I was worth two hundred million. I come back and fight this fucking guy,” McGregor explained. He added that he competed with a broken foot, a detail he noted was shown in the Netflix documentary series about his life.
Even while acknowledging the result of that night, McGregor refused to give Khabib credit. “I’d done four rounds with him, I had a broken toe… This guy’s nothing. Then where is he now also? He’s gone. I don’t rate him at all,” he said. McGregor’s tone suggested that Khabib’s decision to retire after the victory only reinforced his belief that his former opponent lacked the hunger or courage to continue competing at the highest level.
The criticism did not stop at Khabib’s UFC run. McGregor also took aim at the early part of his rival’s career, suggesting it lacked real competition. “His first half of his work was fighting in his father’s house in the middle of nowhere in, wherever they’re from, right? He’s like 12-0, the opponent he’s fighting is 0-0, 0-0. This isn’t boxing,” McGregor argued. He appeared to imply that Khabib built his record against lesser opposition before entering the UFC.
McGregor continued to downplay Khabib’s finishing ability and overall body of work. “You never fought, missed weight, never fought above weight divisions, three fights, no stoppages, no knockouts. Come on, man, how many more knockouts does he got? Fucking three or four. You must be mad if I’m gonna waste my fucking time watching this shit,” he said. The former two-division champion made it clear that he sees little value in revisiting or studying Khabib’s fights.
When pressed on whether Khabib deserves more respect for remaining undefeated, McGregor stayed firm in his stance. “He’s not done enough, he’s not done enough. You might have to get him out of retirement, we might need that,” he remarked. The comment carried a mix of sarcasm and challenge, suggesting that McGregor believes Khabib’s resume remains incomplete.
Throughout the interview, McGregor’s body language and animated delivery underscored how strongly he feels about the topic. Sitting in a purple suit and gray hat, gesturing with a cigar in hand, he spoke with the same unfiltered confidence that has defined much of his public persona over the years. His comments painted a picture of a fighter who still views his 2018 loss as an outlier rather than a defining moment.
The rant comes at a time when both men have largely stepped away from active competition. Khabib has remained retired since his victory over McGregor, while the Irishman has focused on business ventures and occasional returns to the cage. McGregor’s willingness to revisit the rivalry with such intensity shows that the bad blood from their historic fight has not fully cooled.
Fans and analysts will likely debate McGregor’s assessment for some time. While many credit Khabib with one of the most dominant reigns in lightweight history, McGregor’s perspective offers a sharply different viewpoint rooted in his own experience inside the octagon. Whether listeners agree or disagree, the interview delivered exactly what many have come to expect from Conor McGregor: bold opinions delivered without apology.
As the conversation wrapped up, McGregor left little doubt about where he stands. For him, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s time at the top does not measure up to the standards he believes define true greatness in the sport. The debate over legacies continues, and McGregor has once again made sure his voice is heard loud and clear.
