CONOR MCGREGOR could put an end to his bitter feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov once and for all – if he faces his long-time rival’s protege.
The pair took part in the biggest fight in UFC history nearly six years ago after one of the promotion’s ugliest pre-bout build-ups.
Nurmagomedov, who retired from MMA in October 2020, won the grudge match via fourth-round submission but the bad blood remains.
McGregor, 36, has taken several potshots at the Russian on social media in recent years, leading many to wonder if the hatchet will ever be buried.
Nurmagomedov’s good pal and former training partner Daniel Cormier believes there’s a chance ‘The Eagle’ could put his dislike of McGregor behind him – if The Notorious faces current lightweight champ Islam Makhachev.
The former two-division champion said on the latest episode of Good Guy, Bad Guy: “He just hates Khabib.
“He hates him… They are not letting it go.
“It’s deep-rooted, but it’s deep-rooted on both sides, honestly… [Khabib] doesn’t like this guy, bro.
“They don’t like each other. This is crazy. It really is. It’s deep.
“It’s very deep, but I think the closest thing you would get to a resolution in that is, again, Conor beating [Michael Chandler] and then earning a championship fight against Islam Makhachev, right?”
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With more sides to his personality than an Octagon, Conor McGregor's rise has been an enthralling watch.
Going from UFC icon to entrepreneur and Hollywood star, the Irishman has transcended the sport he helped bring to the masses.
He has four children with fiancee Dee Devlin and the family enjoy a lavish lifestyle.
McGregor has not fought in UFC since breaking his leg in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021.
That has not stopped him amassing a net worth of over £150m thanks to his Proper No Twelve whiskey and fashion line.
And he is due to return to the Octagon at UFC 303 in an eagerly-awaited headline clash with Michael Chandler.
McGregor also starred alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the Amazon Prime remake of classic movie Road House, although he is dreading his mum seeing one X-rated scene.
Notorious turned up to the premiere in a £60,000 suit that was outdone by his £460k watch.
The only thing sharper than his fashion sense is his tongue and the Dubliner has several bitter spats under his belt, including with UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
That row led to one of his biggest controversies in 2018 as he travelled 3,000 miles to confront Khabib in a vicious attack on his bus.
He pleaded guilty to assault after punching a man in a pub in 2018 and had his £150k Bentley seized by police for driving offences four years later.
Joe Rogan lashed out at McGregor in a four-letter outburst and the Irishman has also fired shots at Jake Paul, KSI and Tommy Fury.
Boxing great Floyd Mayweather also has McGregor on his enemy list after the pair clashed in a cross-sport bout in 2017.
Read all of our latest Conor McGregor stories.
Makhechev, who was trained by Nurmagomedov’s late father and coach Abdulamanap, has already revealed he’s open to sharing the octagon with McGregor.
And Cormier believes Nurmagomedov would take solace from Dagestani destroyer doing a number on his former foe.
‘DC’ continued: “Then Khabib could probably try to find some comfort in that and Conor could try to actually find redemption in trying to beat the guy that became the guy, right?
“So, there’s stories there.
” I don’t know [if] that it happens because Michael Chandler can’t seem to get a date.”
McGregor was due to make his cage comeback in June in a long-overdue showdown with Chandler.
But the Return of the Mac was postponed after he suffered a broken left pinky toe in one of his final sparring sessions before fight night.
It’s understood the promotion is targeting December 14 for the Irishman‘s rescheduled return.
And in an exclusive interview with SunSport, The Notorious revealed he likes the sound of closing out the UFC’s pay-per-view schedule.
The UFC’s first simultaneous two-weight world champion told SunSport: “That sounds good to me.
“That sounds good to me brother.”
