We may be close to witnessing another face-off between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, as their bittersweet feud in MMA history is set to reignite again— only this time not inside the UFC’s Octagon, but at the PFL’s arena! After defeating AJ McKee by way of a split decision, Paul Hughes immediately called out Usman Nurmagomedov for a title shot fight but there’s a catch to it as well as it appears that he wants to convert it to Ireland vs. Dagestan 2.0.

After upsetting the MMA community with his victory over AJ McKee, Paul Hughes has called out Conor McGregor to be in his corner for his fight against Usman Nurmagomedov. Interestingly, Khabib Nurmagomedov will also be there to corner his brother, and the presence of McGregor in the same arena could have serious repercussions. Yet, Paul Hughes is ready to take a chance.

At the post-fight press conference, Hughes emphasized that he has what it takes to defeat Usman Nurmagomedov, “We all know who is next. Usman Nurmagomedov is next; we all know that. Let’s go! Let’s do this! Smash him! Walk him down! Put punches on him like that! I mean, how many times have I heard AJ there? As I said, very, very close to knocking Nurmagomedov out a few times.”

He further added, “This time, I think 100% I will get him. I don’t think he is as clean of a striker as AJ is. Conor, someone clip it! Conor, I want you to be in my corner for that fight, 100%! How cool would that be? You know I need some extra security that night. Also, talk to the man; we may need some more security. But I’m down for it! I think it would be fun.”

Well, Conor McGregor has yet to answer this call but he did congratulate his countryman for his victory. ‘Mystic Mac’ took to his X handle to say, “Big News’ @paulhughesmma ! Solidified! Bravo bro, well in!” While McGregor’s busy schedule might keep him off Hughes Corner, nothing yet could be said for certain when it comes to the Notorious. And while we are on that, let’s take a walk down the memory to recall the heated rivalry between The Eagle and McGregor.

What happened between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor?

There was once a time when Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor were on good terms. Nurmagomedov was even a fan of the Irish fighter but everything turned upside down when Dana White ducked Khabib Nurmagomedov’s title shot to give it to Conor McGregor, thus initiating animosity between the Dagestani and the Irishman.

Although both the fighters used to have a light banter with one another, in April 2018 their rivalry took a dramatic turn when McGregor infamously attacked a bus carrying Khabib and other fighters at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. ‘Mystic Mac’ even threw a metal trolley to their bus which resulted in various injuries.

It heightened the already ongoing tensions between the public figures. The reason for this epic mismanagement, you ask? It was because Khabib Nurmagomedov threatened and slapped McGregor’s former friend Artem Lobov. In a conversation with the media, ‘Eagle’ emphasized that McGregor’s fight was one of the most exhilarating fights for him, “I remember fight night when I was supposed to fight with him. I was so excited, and I couldn’t wait. I really can’t wait when the cage is going to close, you know because for me, it’s like a competitor.”

Their feud soon culminated in their clash at UFC 229 on October 6, 2018. The pre-fight press conference witnessed some crass trash talks from both the fighters but Conor McGregor crossed his limits when he attacked Nurmagomedov’s lineage, religion, and even parents.

Regardless, on the fateful day, ‘Eagle’ emerged victorious via submission in the fourth round, but the post-fight scene stole the headlines as he jumped over the cage to confront McGregor’s team, triggering a massive brawl in the arena. Since then, both of them have been on bad terms. Regardless, what’s your opinion on their rivalry? State your thoughts in the comments below.