The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov will genuinely never see an end.
As per usual, team Nurmagomedov has continued to find great success since “The Eagle” called it a career in Oct. 2020 with a perfect record after 29 bouts. This past weekend (Nov. 18, 2022), another Dagestani Lightweight titleholder was crowned when Usman Nurmagomedov defeated Patricky “Pitbull” Freire via a unanimous decision for the Bellator strap at Bellator 288.
The win comes shortly after Islam Makhachev claimed 155-pound supremacy in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) where Nurmagomedov once ruled the roost. Speaking about these accomplishments, the all-time great couldn’t help but channel a famous quote from his rival, McGregor.
“Right now we have current UFC and Bellator Lightweight champions,” Nurmagomedov said at a recent press conference (h/t MMA Junkie). “This is amazing. I hear a long time ago when one guy was talking about ‘We’re here to take over’ but we’re here to take over.”
Nurmagomedov’s quoting of McGregor is in reference to “The Irishman” saying; “We’re not here to take part, we’re here to take over!” following his Dublin, Ireland victory over Diego Brandao in July 2014.
Catching wind of his rival’s usage of the famous line, McGregor was the opposite of flattered.
“I fight on,” McGregor wrote in a now-deleted tweet (h/t MMA Fighting). “Your father’s plan is never complete because you quit and ran, brother. God bless. I’m still here if you wanna go again. But your fear of defeat means you’ve already lost. Run from it all you want. We all lose in the end. Death takes us all. I fear nothing but God.”
While Nurmagomedov enjoys retirement as a coach, McGregor is currently in the middle of filming a new Road House reboot. The former UFC Featherweight and Lightweight champion last fought in July 2021, breaking his leg to drop a technical knockout loss to Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout (watch highlights). McGregor is 1-3 in his last fought fights, starting off that stretch with his fourth round neck crank submission loss to Nurmagomedov in Oct. 2018.