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Retired MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor share one of the fiercest rivalries in UFC history, a feud that transcended the octagon, culminating in their infamous UFC 229 clash in 2018, when Khabib defeated McGregor with a rear-naked choke and then leapt from the cage to confront McGregor’s corner team. The aftermath defined an era of animosity, one where Khabib famously declared in 2019, “it will never be finished. Even if we see [each other] somewhere, we’re going to fight, 100 percent. It doesn’t matter if someone go to jail or something like this”.
Yet, as years have passed, so too has the tone of their exchanges. While Khabib, now 36 and retired as an undefeated champion since 2020, previously spoke only of inevitable war, his latest public remarks about his old adversary reveal a note of empathy and, unexpectedly, hope for change.
From Punishment to Redemption
Conor McGregor, whose own journey has spiraled from superstardom to controversy, remains the UFC’s biggest draw but lately for reasons outside the cage. Since suffering a broken leg in a July 2021 TKO loss to Dustin Poirier, McGregor has faced a string of legal issues, including a civil sexual assault case in 2024, and a dismal 1-3 fighting record since his clash with Khabib.
Addressing a crowd in New York, Khabib, a devout Muslim, reflected not in triumphalism but concern. “This is punishment, [but] the most beautiful part of this is Allah always give the chance to come back,” he said, referencing the widespread notion in his faith that redemption remains possible no matter the depth of one’s missteps. “I think he has a chance. He has to change how he is living. Why am I talking about this? If he’s going to change, he can change with him so many other lives too. That’s why I wish him to change himself. If he’s not going to change, it will be punishment all his life”.
Khabib speaks about Conor McGregor:
“Allah always give us chance to come back… doesn’t matter how you bad…
I think he have chance, and he have to change the way how he’s living.
If he gonna change, he can change with him so many other lives too. That’s why I wish him to… pic.twitter.com/fN4oGNk0Qn
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 3, 2025
These comments mark a sharp pivot from his earlier, uncompromising stance. Khabib’s message this time is almost pastoral: warning that McGregor’s recent path, marked by run-ins with the law, damaging headlines, and a descent from competitive relevance, will only breed continued suffering. But at the heart of Khabib’s words lies an acknowledgment of McGregor’s influence; a suggestion that, as one of the sport’s most iconic and polarizing figures, McGregor’s transformation could impact countless others beyond himself.
A New Chapter Possible?
Since Khabib’s retirement, the MMA landscape has remained captivated by both men, McGregor especially so, with news that the 37-year-old Irishman recently rejoined the UFC’s mandatory drug testing pool, a signal that a comeback could be on the horizon. Whether McGregor heeds Khabib’s advice remains to be seen. But Khabib’s comments are not merely those of a rival, they are a public challenge, and perhaps a lifeline, to a fighter whose story is still unfinished.
🚨 As of today, Conor McGregor is officially back in the UFC drug-testing pool pic.twitter.com/4qHEGsEBel
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) August 1, 2025
If McGregor does “change how he is living,” as Khabib urges, the redemption arc could be one of the most compelling in MMA history. For now, the world waits to see if the Irishman will seize the chance that, according to his most famous rival, is still within reach.
