Envy of an Irishman or PR campaign: why Nurmagomedov and McGregor got into a skirmish on social networks

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor have not been in a better relationship for a long time, but on the eve of the conflict between the two fighters broke out with renewed vigor. Athletes fought on social networks, exchanging a series of harsh statements that could very well be the beginning of a public relations campaign in anticipation of the long-awaited rematch.

It is noteworthy that the initiator of the next quarrel between the athletes was UFC President Dana White. During a meeting with reporters, the functionary was asked another question about the future rival of the lightweight champion. He called everyone the famous list of possible candidates, which includes Tony Ferguson, Georges Saint-Pierre and Conor McGregor, putting the Irishman in last place. Media representatives were unable to circumvent this fact and received an unexpected response.

“Does this mean that Conor is at the end of this list? McGregor is no longer the boss, Habib is number one, so he sits down and chooses with whom to fight, ”White quotes Boston Globe.

The head of the UFC said that McGregor could very well meet the winner of the fight between Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal, which will be held at a tournament in New York. However, such a alignment could hardly suit Conor himself. Firstly, for the sake of such a fight, he will need to go to the welterweight, and secondly, to give up claims to the title in the light.

With a similar statement, White clearly indicated to McGregor that he no longer considered him the main star of the promotion. It is difficult to understand whether the UFC president really changed his mind about the Irishman or specially hurt him for the lively, but the response was not long in coming.

MacGregor expectedly did not leave such statements of White without attention and answered them in his own style. He was never famous for his meek disposition, so he immediately began to pour insults. True, it was not the head of the company that fell under the hot hand, but his former opponent. So, the Irishman spoke about the UFC tournament held in September in Abu Dhabi, which was actually organized under Nurmagomedov.

Who's not the man? Your man had that marquee event did he? More like an event in a marquee. A tent in the fucking sand it was. Keep spoofing to your self horse. Jock strap sniffer championships.

“Who's the boss yet?” You think your boyfriend had a tough fight, right? Yes, it's more like a tournament in a tent. It was a tent in the damned desert. Fool yourself further. Championship among sniffers of another's cowards (meaning cowards with a shell to protect the groin. - RT ), ”McGregor wrote on his Twitter page.

With his last phrase, the Irishman wanted to hint that the Russian is one of the apologists for fighting on the ground. This style of battle is not surprising for the world champion in sambo. However, in full-time combat, Nurmagomedov performed better in the strike stance than Macregore. In their duel, which took place on October 7, 2018 as part of the UFC tournament, 229 Habib delivered a total of 208 accurate hits, 140 of which were accented, while for Conor this statistic was 192 and 102 hits.

The statements of the Irish could not but hurt Nurmagomedov. The Russian laughed at his words, writing: "This is a fiasco, drunk." In response, McGregor suggested “see you in Moscow”, adding an unpleasant appeal to “pussy”. It is worth noting that this dive between the athletes was no longer in English, but in Russian.

Habib put the final point, hinting at another scandal involving Conor.

“In Moscow, rapists are not expected,” Nurmagomedov concluded.

In Moscow, rapists are not expected

Recall, on the eve of the media there was information that the ex-UFC champion in two weight categories allegedly could become a defendant in the rape case. According to The New York Times, the incident occurred in a parking lot near one of Dublin's pubs. However, no official charges were filed by the Irish police to McGregor. The representative of the Irishman said that the athlete in every possible way denies any involvement in this, and recalled that he "often becomes the object of rumors."

Despite the tension between the athletes, one should not exclude the possibility that this whole skirmish was aimed at heating interest in their possible future revenge. The return match between Nurmagomedov and McGregor has been discussed throughout the year and is a win-win option for the UFC. Given the passions and popularity of both fighters, the promotion is guaranteed to gather a huge audience at the screens.

There is no doubt about this, if only because of the hype that prevailed around the UFC 229. The fight between the fighters set a record for sales of paid broadcasts in the history of mixed martial arts and turned Nurmagomedov into a superstar. In addition, both athletes earned their largest fees at that time for this battle.

Since the enmity between the fighters has only taken root over the past year, interest in holding a second match has not diminished. But, if McGregor himself regularly made it clear that he was ready to re-enter the octagon with Nurmagomedov, then his counterpart for a long time categorically refused such an idea. Habib argued this by the presence of more worthy competitors and the lack of a winning streak in Conor's asset.

However, in the last month, the Russian opinion on this subject has undergone changes. He still considers such a scenario unlikely, but already points to some conditions under which this may become possible. In particular, Nurmagomedov hinted that he was ready for a rematch with McGregor if he held at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg or contributed to the "development and creation of jobs in Dagestan."

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In this context, one cannot ignore the opinion of the father of the current lightweight champion. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov made it clear that he did not rule out a duel between his son and McGregor in the near future, and Moscow could be the venue. Given how much he plays in Habib’s life, you can be sure that the athlete himself thinks in the same vein.

“Could it be that in March-April the battle of Habib will take place in Moscow or St. Petersburg? Such talk is going on. If the fight takes place in New York, then only with Tony Ferguson. If Conor so wants to fight, then welcome to the capital, ”quoted Sport24 Nurmagomedov Sr.

At the same time, there is no doubt that McGregor will agree to a fight in Russia if he receives such an offer. The Irishman never ran from rivals and repeatedly performed on their territory. So, his title fights with Eddie Alvarez and Chad Mendes took place in the United States, while in Ireland he fought only once during his performance in the UFC. This happened in July 2014, and Diego Brandao became his opponent.

In addition, McGregor himself hinted that he was ready to perform in Moscow or St. Petersburg. As confirmation of the Irish, he published a photograph that depicts the background of the coat of arms of Russia.

It is noteworthy that Khabib and Conor are not the first time to arrange tough exchanges of views on social networks. It is enough to recall their skirmishes in March-April, when the Irishman firmly walked not only over the enemy himself, but also insulted his wife and religion.