Conor McGregor has built a reputation for stirring up controversy and making bold, often outrageous statements. But despite his antics, it’s hard to deny the impact ‘The Notorious’ has had on the sport, turning Ireland into a UFC powerhouse. Like many Irish fighters, UFC lightweight star Paul Hughes grew up respecting McGregor for the spotlight he brought to their home country.
However, in recent years, ‘Mystic Mac’ has been making headlines more for his social media rants and deleted tweets than for his fighting. His last Octagon appearance was in 2021 against Dustin Poirier, and after pulling out of UFC 303 due to injury, his return remains uncertain. Beyond the cage, McGregor has made waves with his successful stake in BKFC and other successful business ventures like a new label brand called Greenback Records. However, this has been marred by infamous controversies like his civil lawsuit case dating back to 2018.
Continuing his downward spiral, McGregor is back in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. This time for taking a personal jab at Paul Hughes. After Hughes’ narrow loss to Usman Nurmagomedov, McGregor didn’t critique his performance but instead questioned his Irish identity. The former double champ’s comments hit a nerve, given the deep-seated and often volatile history of Northern Ireland.
Hughes, understandably, didn’t take kindly to the insult, “It’s probably the most disrespectful thing you could say to a fellow Irishman is that he’s not Irish just because I come from the north of the country,” Hughes expressed while speaking to MMA Fighting.
Still, Hughes made it clear that he wasn’t devastated by the remarks, though they were disappointing coming from someone he once admired. “But look, as I’ve talked about a couple of times now, I didn’t take it very personally because, unfortunately, it’s not the Conor that I once knew. So it’s not what people are saying, you know, it’s not hard to hear that from someone you looked up to, and I kind of take it with a pinch of salt because of that reason, you know. It is what it is. I wasn’t distraught about what he said, put it like that, yeah.”
Cannes – Elvis Screening Conor McGregor attended the screening of Elvis during the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 25, 2022, in Cannes, France. Photo by Shootpix/ABACAPRESS.COM Cannes France PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxESPxUKxUSAxBELxPOL Copyright: xShootpix/ABACAx 811615_230 Shootpix/ABACAx 811615_230
After a grueling five-round war with Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator lightweight title in Dubai, Paul Hughes came up short. Despite the loss, Hughes showed true sportsmanship, paying respect to his opponent and his team. A behind-the-scenes moment captured by the Anatomy of a Fighter channel revealed a particularly telling exchange. Hughes was seen speaking to Khabib Nurmagomedov, assuring him that he was “not like the other guy”—a clear reference to Conor McGregor.
Anyone who remembers McGregor’s distasteful comments about Khabib, his recent downfall, and UFC 229 knows exactly what Hughes was alluding to. The infamous post-fight brawl between Khabib’s team and McGregor’s corner turned the rivalry into one of the ugliest in UFC history. With Hughes and Usman squaring off for the Bellator title, the bout was even dubbed as Ireland vs. Dagestan 2.0, drawing parallels to the heated 2018 clash.
But if this latest exchange proves anything, it’s that the bad blood between Khabib and McGregor still lingers. And with McGregor’s recent jab at Hughes’ Irish identity, the rivalry between ‘The Notorious’ and the Dagestani camp seems far from over.
Team Khabib drags McGregor’s kids into the Dagestan vs. Ireland feud
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov weighed in on Conor McGregor’s bitter rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov. According to Usman, McGregor’s devastating loss to ‘The Eagle’ at UFC 229 may still haunt him to this day—possibly fueling his ongoing attacks on Team Dagestan.
McGregor has relentlessly taken shots at Khabib over the years, often resorting to extremely problematic comments in an attempt to lure him out of retirement for a rematch. However, Usman took the feud to an even more personal level, bringing McGregor’s children into the conversation.
When discussing McGregor’s inability to move past the defeat, Usman said: “Maybe because Khabib kicked his a–. He wants a rematch, but he has to live with this all his life, and his kids have to live with this all his life. He has to live with this and pass with this. All his family, all his legacy, all this, is around this. He lost to Khabib when [he] had to win.”
By framing the loss as something that will define McGregor’s entire family legacy, Usman struck a particularly vulnerable nerve. If history has shown us anything, it’s that ‘The Notorious’ doesn’t take kindly to personal attacks—especially when they involve his family. So, what happens next in this ongoing feud? Will McGregor fire back, or will this escalate into an even bigger war of words? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
The post Conor McGregor Faces Backlash Of ‘Extreme’ Hate For Dagestan as Paul Hughes Doubles Down On ‘Unbelievably Disrespectful’ Comments appeared first on EssentiallySports.
