1.2287154-2737274333
Khabib had strong words for his once rival... Image Credit: AP
Also in this package

Khabib Nurmagomedov has reacted to Conor McGregor’s knockout loss at the hands of Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi, taunting his former rival.

UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov, who retired in 2020, posted a scathing tweet to McGregor on Sunday, after the Irishman suffered a TKO loss against Poirier.

Khabib took a dig at Conor McGregor after his loss to Poirier, hiniting that he is finished after a series of exhibition fights.
Khabib took a dig at Conor McGregor after his loss to Poirier, hiniting that he is finished after a series of exhibition fights. "This is what happened, when you change your team, leave the sparring partners who made you a champion and sparring with little kids, far away from reality," he tweeted. Image Credit: Zuffa

“This is what happened, when you change your team, leave the sparring partners who made you a champion and sparring with little kids, far away from reality,” wrote Nurmagomedov on Twitter.

He didn’t specify who he was speaking about, but it was clear as day.

Nurmagomedov and McGregor have a turbulent past, to say the least — and it’s apparent now that they’re not ready to let bygones be bygones.

After Nurmagomedov beat McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018, during the most lucrative UFC pay-per-view (PPV) event in history, the two fighters and their teams infamously brawled inside of the octagon. Fines and suspensions followed.

Dustin Poirier defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 257 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi
Dustin Poirier defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 257 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi Image Credit: Zuffa

Nurmagomedov later apologised for the incident, saying he was provoked by McGregor’s team, who talked trash about his religion, culture and family.

Is a re-match in the works?

Nurmagomedov’s tweet could be publicity for an upcoming rematch between himself and McGregor. Over the weekend, UFC president Dana White was spotted on tape trying to convince the Russian fighter to take on the Irishman one more time.

“This fight with Poirier is trending bigger than the fight with you and Conor on pay-per-view, “Imagine what you and Conor would do in another fight.”

In addition, when asked about the much-demanded rematch at a press conference, McGregor said: “It’s a tough business, things have gone on in his personal life, I don’t wish any harm, it was 2018, a lot of time has passed.

"The world knows this war is not over, the sport needs it to happen, the people need it to happen.”