The spiteful rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov made for one of the most volatile build-ups to any fight in history.
Simply put, the pair could not stand one another, which, in turn, only generated significantly more intrigue around their fiercely anticipated showdown at UFC 229.
Prior to their encounter back in 2018, though, Conor McGregor had already made his mind up about his future opponent, who had been seen slapping the Irishman’s former stablemate, Artem Lobov, in a heated exchange.
And so, with their bad blood growing thicker by the day, the opportunity to finally settle their differences in the octagon could not come soon enough.
Daniel Cormier suffered the full wrath of Khabib Nurmagomedov following Conor McGregor handshake
After displaying his elite wrestling prowess, Khabib Nurmagomedov ultimately submitted McGregor with a rear naked choke in the fourth round of their infamous dustup.
The UFC lightweight king then made two defenses of his title, submitting top contenders Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, before calling it quits on his scintillating career.
And, after retiring with an unbeaten record, Nurmagomedov is now widely regarded as one of the greatest ever UFC fighters.
McGregor, meanwhile, has only secured one victory since losing to his formidable rival, producing a first-round finish over Donald Cerrone before suffering back-to-back losses to Poirier.
Regardless, the former duel-weight champion’s feud with ‘The Eagle’ has seemingly never diminished, something that UFC legend Daniel Cormier was reminded of in 2021.
“I saw Conor McGregor in Abu Dhabi, maybe when he was fighting Dustin Poirier,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel.
“We were shaking hands, talking a little bit, and very kind of chumy. And Khabib was like, ‘Brother, I don’t understand this! If I see Conor with his wife, I’ll shake his hand, because that’s what you’re supposed to do. But brother…’
“And I initially kind of fought it, but look at the stance he’s taken in regards to everyone you deal with, why wouldn’t you take that same stance?”
Will Conor McGregor return to the UFC?
While Nurmagomedov remains happily retired, McGregor has teased a potential return to the octagon despite prolonging his three-year hiatus.
The 36-year-old has expressed an interest in facing sixth-ranked UFC lightweight Dan Hooker, revealing in an exclusive with Bloody Elbow that he is targeting a date in February.
And yet, Hooker has since ruled himself out of the contest, leaving ‘The Notorious’ with limited options for his planned comeback in Saudi Arabia.
But still, after boasting about his relationship with boxing power broker Turki Alalshikh, it would seem that McGregor, indeed, will be looking to become more involved with combat sports events in the Middle East.
Whether that is in a business or competitive capacity, however, is yet to be fully understood.