Conor McGregor dismisses Khabib Nurmagomedov's UFC legacy

Conor McGregor left Khabib Nurmagomedov off his all-time UFC greats list, claiming the undefeated Russian built his reputation on just three fights against recognizable opposition.

In an interview with Complex, McGregor said Nurmagomedov competed in only 13 UFC bouts — a fraction of the Irishman's own promotional tenure — and that most came against unknowns. The former two-division champion also blamed his own poor preparation for their 2018 clash at UFC 229, when he tapped to a face crank in the fourth round.

McGregor blames yacht parties for Nurmagomedov loss

"That guy's done nothing in the sport. 13 fights he's had in the company, that's it. And three against named opponents," McGregor told Complex. "I was off the yacht; I was doing bad things on the yacht. I was partying heavily and I was with my eyeballs in court cases and all of this. I hadn't fought in two years. I was worth $200 million."

McGregor added that he fought with a broken toe and went four rounds despite the layoff. Nurmagomedov retired in 2020 at 29-0 after three lightweight title defenses, while McGregor has not won since stopping Donald Cerrone in early 2020. The Dubliner suffered back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021, the second ending with a broken leg.

Their bout at UFC 229 remains the highest-selling pay-per-view in promotion history, fueled by a bus attack, religious insults, and a post-fight brawl. McGregor returns at UFC 329 on July 11 against Max Holloway at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Conor McGregor reignites Khabib Nurmagomedov feud with brutal legacy assessment