McGregor weighs in on Makhachev’s UFC title success
The dust had barely settled on Islam Makhachev’s impressive lightweight title win at UFC 280 before Conor McGregor embarked on a tweet tirade with his thoughts on Saturday night’s action.
Makhachev fulfilled a prophecy made by friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov – as well as Khabib’s late father Abdulmanap – by capturing the UFC 155lbs crown with a second-round submission victory over Charles Oliveira in Abu Dhabi.
As Makhachev, Khabib and their team celebrated in the octagon at the Etihad Arena, McGregor was already preparing to fire off a social media salvo with his take on proceedings.
Beginning with a backhanded compliment for Makhachev’s dominant display against former champion Oliveira, the Irishman could not resist resorting to digs at the Dagestani and bitter rival Khabib.
“Nice fight. nice performance,” McGregor began in the first of a series of tweets which have predictably since been deleted.
“I have built all the tools to beat this style now versus before. Experience vs. s***. Face breaking shots from clinch and baby brain batter shots from bottom,” added McGregor.
“And the rest of my repertoire yous know. Steel left leg. Cannon back hand. Wrist control.”
Following on, McGregor suggested he was “intrigued” by the idea of “shutting down” Makhachev – even though the Dubliner has been sidelined since the brutal leg-break he suffered against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
“The thought of shutting down this system of fighting with my own developed system is quite intriguing to me,” tweeted McGregor.
“Whoever of them against. It’s not personal. It’s a skill evaluation and a fight. Even through generations... A war of attrition. To the box,” added the Irishman, who is currently engaged in filming a remake of Hollywood movie ‘Road House’ in the Dominican Republic.
Turning his attentions to Khabib – who has stepped up his coaching role with Makhachev since calling time on his own undefeated career – McGregor appeared to mock his former octagon rival and the plans laid out by Khabib’s later father and trainer, Abdulmanap.
“I have the system to hurt this style of fighting guys I am telling you,” McGregor wrote.
“Bro is a s*** jocks. Fat mouth, shut your mouth you done nothing tonight except go against father’s wishes and run. It’s not father’s plan completed yet, pal. You know. Your people know and they talk about you.”
The online barbs broadened when Khabib’s manager Ali Abdelaziz weighed in, telling McGregor: “You are low life s*** stop talking about people family you need a face slap soon nobody cares about you.”
That prompted the former two-weight UFC champion to claim he would “squash Abdelaziz’s head.”
McGregor, 33, has teased a UFC comeback next year at welterweight, but has picked up just one win – against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone – in his last four visits to the octagon.
‘The Notorious’ was beaten in successive fights by Poirier in 2021, and was famously choked out by Khabib in their Las Vegas grudge match back in 2018.
Speaking at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, promotion chief Dana White suggested it would be at least six months before McGregor returns as he is not part of the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing pool.
