Khabib Nurmagomedov has hit back at Conor McGregor’s claims he will go down as the greatest fighter in mixed martial arts history.
The Irishman, a two-division champion, has been causing a stir on social media once more, posting at the weekend that he will ultimately trump Anderson Silva, George St-Pierre and Jon Jones as the best to have entered the octagon.
McGregor, who most recently registered a 40-second victory against Donald Cerrone in January, put forward on Twitter his arguments for each fighter, saying he is either currently second to Silva, or joint-first alongside the Brazilian, in the all-time list.
That has piqued Nurmagomedov's interest, a long-time rival and current lightweight champion. The Russian defeated McGregor at the now-infamous UFC 229 in October 2018, submitting his opponent in the fourth round. The win sparked a post-bout brawl and led to suspensions for both fighters.
On Twitter on Sunday, Nurmagomedov pointed to McGregor's submission losses in three different weights as evidence his fortitude falls someway behind St-Pierre (GSP), Anderson "The Spider" Silva and Jon “Bones” Jones.
Nurmagomedov said: “You tapped out in featherweight, you tapped out in lightweight and you tapped in welterweight, you never defended title in the UFC or Cage Warriors, you gave up more than GSP, Spider and Bones all together. You greatest @ufc fighter in twitter history.”
McGregor’s outburst, which also touched upon Silva and Jones previously testing positive for banned substances, prompted a reaction from a number of UFC fighters, most notably Jones.
The current light heavyweight champion, who has recently teased a move up to heavyweight, reminded McGregor that he is yet to successfully defend a title, adding: “I’m not going to debate on who is the goat. I’ll let the fans do that for me.”
Jones later thanked Nurmagomedov for his tweet, while also posting a list of most wins in UFC title bouts accompanied by “GOAT, where you at” in a dig aimed at McGregor. Jones tops the standings, with 14.
Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, is expected to resume his assault on the UFC all-time rankings later this year. Boasting a 12-fight win streak, he last fought at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi last September, where he defeated interim champion Dustin Poirier by third-round submission.
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ABU%20DHABI%20CARD
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What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
Results
6pm: Dubai Trophy – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,200m
Winner: Silent Speech, William Buick (jockey), Charlie Appleby
(trainer)
6.35pm: Jumeirah Derby Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (T)
1,800m
Winner: Island Falcon, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.10pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Trial – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Dirt)
1,400m
Winner: Rawy, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer
7.45pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Winner: Desert Fire, Hector Crouch, Saeed bin Suroor
8.20pm: Al Fahidi Fort – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Naval Crown, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.55pm: Dubawi Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Al Tariq, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watsons
9.30pm: Aliyah – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Dubai Icon, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
THE%20STRANGERS'%20CASE
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Napoleon
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THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Dolittle
Director: Stephen Gaghan
Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen
One-and-a-half out of five stars
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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