Conor McGregor Reacts to Trump’s Praise for Khabib in 2024
Conor McGregor reacted angrily in August 2024 after Donald Trump named Khabib Nurmagomedov as his favorite UFC fighter during an interview with streamer Adin Ross. The social-media exchange revived a rivalry that had continued long after their 2018 lightweight title fight. Michael Chandler also entered the discussion while his own proposed meeting with McGregor remained delayed.
A preference becomes a public argument
Trump’s answer concerned a fighter he admired. McGregor responded by criticizing the choice and arguing that an American athlete should have been named instead. His posts also described the answer as politically damaging, but that was McGregor’s characterization rather than an established consequence for Trump’s campaign.
The exchange attracted attention because McGregor’s response connected a casual sporting preference to one of his most personal rivalries. Trump was then the Republican presidential nominee, while Nurmagomedov had already retired from competition. The interview did not announce a fight or a return by the former lightweight champion.
Chandler’s intervention added another layer of sporting tension. He and McGregor had been scheduled to headline UFC 303 before McGregor’s injury withdrawal. Their online exchanges in August took place against that unresolved competitive background.
The history behind McGregor’s reaction
McGregor and Nurmagomedov fought at UFC 229 in Las Vegas on October 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov retained the lightweight championship with a fourth-round submission, then the event was marred by a post-fight confrontation involving members of the two camps. The result left their rivalry with both a decisive sporting outcome and a troubled aftermath.
Nurmagomedov’s record became 27–0 after defeating McGregor. His final 29–0 record came later, following title defenses against Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. He announced his retirement after submitting Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020.
McGregor also returned to competition after their meeting. In January 2020, he stopped Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds at UFC 246. His subsequent two 2021 bouts with Poirier ended in defeats, with a serious leg injury bringing their July trilogy fight to a close. That chronology matters when assessing what the fighters had done between UFC 229 and the 2024 argument.
Why the exchange drew MMA attention
The contrast in their career paths made the comments especially recognizable to fight fans. Nurmagomedov had finished his competitive career undefeated, while McGregor’s planned comeback remained a subject of uncertainty. Trump praising one fighter gave the other a fresh occasion to revisit old grievances.
The disagreement did not change either man’s official fight record. It also supplied no sporting basis for a rematch: admiration from a public figure and an angry response are separate from matchmaking decisions.
As an August 2024 MMA story, the episode illustrates the durability of the McGregor–Nurmagomedov rivalry. Its significance lies in the public reaction and the competitive history that made the response resonate, rather than any demonstrated political outcome.
Sources
- MMA Fighting: interview reaction and Chandler response
- UFC: UFC 229 result and aftermath
- UFC: Nurmagomedov’s final fight and retirement announcement
- UFC: McGregor’s fight history
Tags
MMA, Combat Sports
