Khabib calls Conor McGregor ‘bag of sh*t’, says he ‘really enjoyed’ Dustin Poirier win at UFC 264

Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov says he was an interested spectator at last weekend's fiery UFC 264 main event between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, asserting that the Irishman must be 'humble' after breaking his leg.

After emerging from one of the most fractious feuds in UFC history against McGregor with his undefeated record intact, Nurmagomedov has advised his heated rival to use the experience of his latest defeat to Poirier as motivation for self-improvement.

After a particularly off-putting build-up to last weekend's fight between the two warring lightweights, the fight saw its conclusion just seconds before the culmination of the first round when McGregor crumpled into a heap on the canvas after his left lower leg gave way, apparently after the Dubliner injured it with an errant kick to Poirier's midsection.

And as McGregor lay prone against the cage unfurling further insults towards Poirier and his family, it seems that Nurmagomedov took some satisfaction in seeing the UFC's one-time king unceremoniously being stripped of his throne.

"I saw yesterday, or two days ago, I just saw his coach's interview. He said, 'I don't understand how this happened. He's a strong, young man and he broke his foot. I don't understand.'" said Nurmagomedov to MMA Junkie, referencing an interview given by McGregor's coach John Kavanagh in which he said that his fighter used an incorrect technique performing the strike which has been blamed for his injury.

"Everything from that, you have to be humble. When you become rich, when you become strong, when you become famous and then you think this is because of myself, then that's going to make you humble.

"I really enjoyed this fight, honestly. I'm very happy for Dustin Poirier, I think he deserves a title shot and right now he deserves to be UFC lightweight champion."

Speaking to ESPN, Khabib appeared even more scathing of his former octagon foe. 

"Money and fame show who you are," the Russian star said.

"All the time we hear that money and fame change people. No. When money and fame come, these two things show who you are. And what has [McGregor] done? He punched an old guy [in a bar in 2019]. You guys can watch everything he did and understand, it's just like Dustin said, 'This guy is a bag of sh*t.'

"I saw a lot of tweets try to support him. How are you gonna support this guy? When kids, young generation watch him, watch this sport? If you want to promote your fight, promote.

"If the MMA community is going to support this bad people, this sport is going to go in a bad way."

When asked whether McGregor could resurrect his career and achieve significant success again, Khabib was doubtful.

"Without broken legs, yes, [he could be the same]. But with broken legs, he's never going to kick the same. With him, no, I don't believe [he'll return to the top]. Conor have good age, but what happened with his mind, legs, this guy is finished, but he's good for promotion."

McGregor indicated on Monday that he expects to be on crutches for a period of around six weeks, after which he says he will begin the arduous task of regaining full fitness to resume his fight career. 

The division, though, will move on without its headline-grabbing star and Poirier will almost certainly be drafted into a lightweight title matchup with current 155lbs champion Charles Oliveira later this year, the Brazilian submission ace who succeeded Nurmagomedov as champion following the Russian's retirement from mixed martial arts.

For now, Nurmagomedov appears to be secure in the knowledge that the division he lorded over is proceeding with the same type of meritocracy which saw him emerge from an unknown fighter from a hotbed of grappling into one of the world's most bankable combat sports stars. 

Poirier, he says, deserves to be champion and will get his opportunity to prove that against Oliveira, who has won nine straight fights en route to raising aloft UFC gold. 

And one suspects that the Russian might also take a modicum of satisfaction in knowing that McGregor will be forced to watch the division unfold from outside of the center of attention in which his entire UFC career has taken place.