Conor McGregor has taken aim at Khabib Nurmagomedov over his decision to retire at the peak of his career, claiming the Russian star is running scared of a rematch with him.
McGregor and Khabib fought two years ago at UFC 229, where the Russian superstar dominated proceedings and even dropped the much-vaunted Irish striker with a big overhand right en route to a fourth-round submission victory.
That fight was packed with controversy due to the heated nature of the build-up, which saw tempers boil over when McGregor attacked a transport bus containing Khabib and a host of other fighters at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, New York. That attack landed McGregor in legal trouble, but the Irishman avoided jail time.
But, when the pair eventually were booked to fight at UFC 229, McGregor's pre-fight slurs and jabs at Khabib proved to be irrelevant on fight night as Khabib claimed a routine victory to extend his undefeated record in the cage. He then went on to defeat Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje to take his record to 29-0 before announcing his retirement from the sport.
However, UFC president Dana White seems convinced he can convince Khabib to return, and rumors linking Khabib with a rematch against McGregor are running wild ahead of the Irishman's upcoming fight with Poirier at UFC 257 on January 23.
Khabib's retirement came in the aftermath of the untimely death of his father, coach and mentor, Abdulmanap, following complications arising from COVID-19.
After announcing his retirement, Khabib explained that he did so to honor a promise he made to his mother following his father's death.
But while McGregor said the Russian star is crazy to have walked away from the sport at this point in his career, with the UFC's lightweight division looking stronger and more exciting than ever.
But he curbed his criticism with a note of respect as he gave a nod to Khabib's recent family bereavement.
“Not only did he sh*t on the bus, he pissed on the chips also. I think he showed his hand.”
