Nate Diaz was launched into further superstardom right after his UFC 196 win over Conor McGregor five years ago. You can probably say the same thing about Khabib Nurmagomedov for his UFC 229 win over “The Notorious” in 2018, although the now-infamous post-fight brawl also likely played a role in the massive rise in his stock.
Dustin Poirier, the third man to defeat McGregor in the UFC, did enjoy a good amount of recognition, props, and broadened exposure. But for observers like Colby Covington, that buzz and hype from defeating the UFC’s golden child may no longer be the same.
In a recent appearance on MMA Fighting.com’s What The Heck, “Chaos” also picked his former teammate to win at UFC 264.
“Yeah, he’ll probably beat Conor again. But, I mean, what is that saying?” Covington said.
“You’re beating a guy that has no motivation left in the sport. And I love Conor. He’s had a great career, done great things in the sport, but your time’s up, too.
“It’s obvious that you’re not training every day, it’s obvious you’re not working on your craft, it’s obvious you’re working on other business deals to line your pockets and pad your bank account.
“It’s just not the same hungry Conor from a couple of years ago. It’s a different Conor towards the end of his journey and it’s not saying much to beat him anymore.”
UFC 264 takes place on Saturday, July 10 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. McGregor says his training has “been nothing but mixed martial arts” despite making a no takedown proposal.
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