Bitter rivals Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov could be set to come face-to-face for the first time since their controversial 2018 fight at UFC 229.
McGregor and Nurmagomedov went toe-to-toe inside the Octagon in October 2018 just months after the Irishman attacked a bus that Khabib was travelling on prior to his fight at UFC 223.
The Dagestani grappler came out on top via submission in the fourth round before spitting his gumshield out and jumping over the cage to attack McGregor’s friend and training partner Dillon Danis.
Chaos ensued with fights breaking out inside the Octagon as well, and it appeared that a rematch was inevitable at some stage.
However, Khabib retired in 2020, and the pair have never been seen in the same room as each other since.
That could all be about to change, though, following the announcement that Khabib’s cousin Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his Bellator lightweight title against Ireland’s Paul Hughes on January 25.
Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov fought each other in one of the biggest MMA bouts ever in October 2018
Khabib won via submission and the bad blood between the pair still exists, but they have not seen one another in six years
Usman Nurmagomedov (left) will defend his Bellator lightweight title against Paul Hughes (right) in January, and the pair could have Khabib and McGregor in their respective corners
The PFL event has been billed as ‘Dagestan vs Ireland 2’ in a clear nod to the rivalry that exists following McGregor and Khabib’s feud, and will take place in Dubai.
Khabib is almost certain to be in Usman’s corner as the pair have worked closely together in recent years, while Hughes has called for McGregor to join his camp on fight night.
If McGregor accepts the invitation, crossing paths with Khabib would become a real possibility.
Usman is unbeaten in his career so far, having won 18 of his 19 fights, with the other bout being ruled a no contest.
The no contest was originally a unanimous decision win over Brent Primus in October 2023 but was overturned after Usman tested positive for a prescription drug that contained a banned substance.
Usman served a six-month suspension, but was not stripped of his title as it was determined that he had accidentally ingested the substance.
Meanwhile, Hughes has only lost once in 14 professional MMA fights, and represents a major test for Usman.
He is on a seven-fight winning streak, and could have McGregor in his corner to help his push for championship gold at the start of 2025.
