Khabib Nurmagomedov has compared Conor McGregor to “an old prostitute” after the Irishman laid into his Russian nemesis over the cancelation of his UFC 249 showdown with Tony Ferguson.
McGregor was predictably quick to rub salt into the wounds when Khabib announced this week that his long-awaited showdown with Ferguson, scheduled for April 18, was effectively off as he was stuck in coronavirus lockdown in Dagestan.
The Irishman accused his Russian rival of “chickening out,” even suggesting that he himself could step in to face Ferguson as he was “in the shape to fight right now.”
Also on rt.com Conor McGregor accuses Khabib of 'chickening out first,' congratulates Tony Ferguson after breakdown of UFC 249 main eventMcGregor was also seen trying to gatecrash an Instagram Live broadcast that Khabib conducted with his fans on Thursday, no doubt to goad his former foe even further.
But the Dagestani grapping phenom – who famously choked out McGregor in the fourth round of their toxic grudge match in 2018 – has now returned fire, dismissing the Irishman as “finished.”
“McGregor says he’s always in good shape, but when I smashed his face last time, he said it was [because he was in] bad shape,” Khabib said in an interview with ESPN.
“This guy is fake. Inside the cage he’s zero. Everyone talks about his stand up. I stayed with him all rounds…
“He looks like an old prostitute who wants attention. His time is done,” the Dagestani added witheringly.
Also on rt.com 'People are stupid if they think I can just call Putin and Trump': Khabib maintains he has no way out of coronavirus lockdownThe undefeated lightweight king claimed he could have made “five times” as much money agreeing to face "chicken" McGregor in a rematch, as their pair's feud continues to simmer.
But Khabib said he had instead chosen to meet Ferguson because it was a “legacy” fight – although he was similarly unflattering about ‘El Cucuy’, who has accused him of “hiding” in Russia under the cover of the Covid-19 lockdown measures.
“I feel very bad for [Tony] because he’s a stupid guy. As a fighter I like him, but as a person I don’t understand him,” Khabib said.
“Tony is always going to be interim champion, Conor is always going to be number two. These guys are not on my level. When I’m [in the UFC], these guys are always going to be number two,” the 31-year-old star added.
The Khabib versus Ferguson showdown – which many have touted as determining the 155lbs GOAT – now looks like falling through for an incredible fifth time.
The Russian has maintained however that it will happen at some point, stating that he would be ready to throw down in August, assuming that the Covid-19 carnage has subsided by then.
“I really believe we’re going to fight. This is my dream fight. I want to show people I’m on another level,” he vowed.