Khabib And McGregor Both Throw Shade Each Other’s Way
A year on from UFC 229, when Khabib Nurmagomedov stopped Conor McGregor in the fourth round of the biggest fight in UFC history, there’s still no love lost between the two. And if Khabib gets his way, the two won’t be meeting inside the Octagon again any time soon.
This despite McGregor’s best efforts over the last year to goad Khabib into a rematch. In his latest effort, the Irishman took to social media to call out Khabib again and suggest running it back in Moscow.
It looks like McGregor will have to earn his way back to a shot at Khabib though. The Dagestani has remained adamant that he doesn’t deserve an immediate rematch and needs to work his way back to the top of the lightweight division.
Speaking to RT recently (as transcribed by BJPenn.com), Khabib called out McGregor’s bad behaviour outside of the Octagon, saying he’s not prepared to shake his hand while he continues to make mistakes.
“I’m not ready to shake McGregor’s hand right now. I’m not. You know everyone makes mistakes. There are no perfect people, everyone has flaws. I have flaws and so does he, everyone has flaws.
“When a person continues to behave this way, it means that it’s in his nature. We saw that he recently hit a seventy year-old man. It shows a lack of morality and manners. His overall level. So I’m not ready to shake his hand, unless he realises something.”
Khabib did offer McGregor an olive branch though, saying that he would accept an apology from him. Although he may be waiting a while.
“Apologies always have to be accepted no matter what he said. If a person apologises and accepts his mistakes, we have to excuse them.”
And it’s not only a handshake that Khabib is refusing to offer McGregor. There will be no rematch offered either. At least until McGregor has earned his place back in the line.
“I have to say that Tony Ferguson deserves it more, you have to give him some credit. He is one a twelve fight win streak and deserves it more than Conor. Conor has to come back, stop hitting old people. He is a professional fighter. He should come back, win, earn his place in get in line.”
With Khabib almost certainly defending his UFC lightweight title against Ferguson early next year, McGregor, who hasn’t fought since UFC 229, is expected to return against Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje. Although if Conor’s coach John Kavanagh, and Frankie Edgar get their way, ‘The Answer’ will welcome ‘The Notorious’ back to the Octagon.
Poirier, Gaethje and Edgar have all been campaigning for the fight with McGregor, as you can see here, here and here.
Who would you like to see Conor McGregor fight on his return to the Octagon?
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