Khabib Nurmagomedov: Any Conor McGregor support is bad for MMA
Nurmagomedov said if MMA community starts to support McGregor it will go out in a 'bad way'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Khabib Nurmagomedov predicted Monday that Conor McGregor’s career was essentially over after sustaining a leg injury at UFC 264 and that promotion of the UFC star is bad for the sport.
Nurmagomedov, who is one of McGregor’s fiercest critics and has beaten him in the Octagon, told ESPN that McGregor has shown his true colors over recent years.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Money and fame show who you are," he told ESPN. "All the time we hear that money and fame change people. No. When money and fame come, these two things show who you are. And what has [McGregor] done? He punched an old guy [in a bar in 2019]. You guys can watch everything he did and understand, it's just like Dustin [Poirier] said, ‘This guy is a bag of s--t.’
FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2018, file photo, Khabib Nurmagomedov is held back outside of the cage after fighting Conor McGregor in a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
"I saw a lot of tweets try to support him. How are you gonna support this guy? When kids, young generation watch him, watch this sport? If you want to promote your fight, promote. If the MMA community is going to support this bad people, this sport is going to go in a bad way."
NEW CONOR MCGREGOR VIDEO APPEARS TO SHOW MORE THREATS HURLED TOWARD DUSTIN POIRIER AT UFC 264
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}McGregor lost the fight to Poirier via a doctor-stoppage technical knockout.
McGregor has promised to come back in a big way from his injury, and Poirier and Dana White have both teased a fourth fight, but Nurmagomedov downplayed any chance of McGregor competing at a high level again, saying "this guy is finished, but he's good for promotion."
Khabib Nurmagomedov, top, applies a rear naked choke hold to Conor McGregor during a lightweight title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 229 in Las Vegas, Saturday, Oct. 6, 2018. Nurmagomedov won the fight by submission during the fourth round to retain the title. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Nurmagomedov has been retired for about a year after having beaten Justin Gaethje in his final bout.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Nurmagomedov was on the receiving end of insults from McGregor leading up to their 2018 fight. McGregor famously insulted Nurmagomedov’s religion and family. After beating McGregor, he leapt out of the cage to fight McGregor’s entire team sparking chaos at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Nurmagomedov finished his career 29-0.