On the fifth anniversary of his blockbuster lightweight title fight with bitter UFC enemy, Khabib Nurmagomedov, former two-division champion, Conor McGregor has branded the Russian and his teammates “dead rats in the swamp” in another heated outburst aimed at his fellow former champion.
Headlining UFC 229 five years ago against American Kickboxing Academy staple, Nurmagomedov, Dublin striker, Conor McGregor suffered an eventual fourth round neck crank submission loss to the former in the pair’s infamous lightweight title fight.
The bout culminated after McGregor’s return to professional mixed martial arts, following a boxing debut loss to Floyd Mayweather in August of the year prior, with the Crumlin counter puncher goading and aiming fierce digs and personal insults toward Nurmagomedov in run-up to their championship showdown.
And at the end of the clash, Nurmagomedov, who was pried off of a submitted McGregor by referee, Herb Dean, scaled the Octagon – and launching a flying attack on McGregor’s corner team, including the highly-outspoken grappler, Dillon Danis.
With security officials attempting to corral Nurmagomedov and break up a fight outside of the Octagon, inside the cage, McGregor who had since returned to his feet, was attacked by members of Nurmagomedov’s team, including Zubaira Tukhugov – engaging in a brawl with the mean.
Conor McGregor again hits out at Khabib Nurmagomedov
Continuing to aim vitriolic barbs toward Nurmagomedov since his 2020 retirement from mixed martial arts, McGregor reflected on the brawl and the Russian’s team on the fifth anniversary of their clash this morning on social media – labelling them “Dead rats in the swamp”.
Himself sidelined since he fractured his left leg against common-foe, Dustin Poirier back in 2021, McGregor is expected to make an early Octagon return next year, in a welterweight division clash against Michael Chandler – re-entering the USADA testing pool earlier this week.