Few expected Islam Makhachev to have sympathy for Conor McGregor. After all, seeing the hatred between Team Khabib and ‘The Notorious’ through the years, many expected nothing more than indifference following UFC 329. Instead, it seems like the reigning UFC welterweight champion is truly saddened by the Irishman’s long-awaited comeback ending in a very heartbreaking fashion.

Speaking to Complex Sports, Islam Makhachev stated that he was disappointed that Conor McGregor’s long-awaited homecoming ended just 69 seconds into the fight after suffering a serious knee injury against Max Holloway.

“Honestly, I feel bad, you know,” he said. “But I know Max’s gonna beat him, but not like fast like this, you know, in the first minute. I want to see how he fight after the five years [away] and honestly, [I] feel bad when this happened.”

Given ‘The Notorious’ and Team Khabib’s longstanding rivalry, these words spoken in the interview truly come as a surprise. While his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov avoided discussing Conor McGregor’s return before UFC 329, Makhachev’s relationship with the former two-division champion had also been strained over the years.

Ironically, only days before the bout, Conor McGregor praised Islam Makhachev while discussing the UFC’s greatest fighters, even ranking Makhachev ahead of both ‘The Eagle’ and Daniel Cormier.

But that did not stop the UFC welterweight champion from initially poking fun at the UFC 329 main event result by commenting with a laughing emoji under Alexander Volkanovski‘s reaction to the injury before later posting on X earlier this month.

“Conor beat Conor. Congrats, Max,” he tweeted.

However, his recent words present a different picture. Rather than celebrating Conor McGregor’s defeat, Islam Makhachev admitted he was curious to see how ‘The Notorious’ would perform after five years away from competition, even though he expected Max Holloway to win the fight. And as expected, this change in tune caught the attention of the MMA world.

Fans praise Islam Makhachev’s respectful response to Conor McGregor’s defeat

It’s no surprise that Islam Makhachev’s comments quickly caught fans off guard. Given the years of animosity between Conor McGregor and Team Khabib, many expected the welterweight champion to mock ‘The Notorious’. Instead, his measured response drew acclaim from a large section of the MMA community.

“Man, respect Islam 🙌 never thought he will say like that,” one fan wrote. Another added, “Islam is a humble good man.”

Several fans appreciated that Islam Makhachev simply wanted to see Conor McGregor compete after such a long layoff, regardless of who won.

“Respect from a rival. Islam wanted to see what Conor still had after five years, not have the fight end like that,” one user commented.

Others admitted the interview changed their opinion of the Dagestani champion. “Wow, I was wrong about Emperor Islam; he showed us respect,” one fan wrote.

Some also pointed out that the Dagestani phenom has never shared the same personal rivalry with ‘The Notorious’ that Khabib Nurmagomedov did.

“Remember folks, Islam and Conor aren’t rivals. Just because Khabib hates Conor doesn’t mean Islam has to,” another fan observed. One fan even joked that the pair should bury the hatchet completely and train together. “I need Conor to join Makhachev’s camp for his last fight next year,” one comment read.

But not everyone agreed with Makhachev’s sympathetic take, though. Many fans insisted ‘Blessed’ was on his way to a dominant victory regardless of the injury. “Yup, we wanted Max to KO him out stiff,” one fan wrote.

Another argued that McGregor actually escaped a far worse outcome: “McGregor got lucky by getting the injury.” A third echoed the same sentiment. He wrote, “We would’ve witnessed another brutal beating and humiliation 2.0. That’s exactly why we’re upset.”

Others felt Conor McGregor simply didn’t deserve any sympathy. “I didn’t feel bad; Conor sucks,” one user wrote. Another took the opposite side of the discussion by defending Makhachev’s sportsmanship instead. “Conor doesn’t deserve Islam being nice to him like this,” the fan commented.

While thoughts on Conor McGregor were truly divided, Islam Makhachev’s reaction stood out as one of the most unexpected takeaways from UFC 329. With ‘The Notorious’ announcing his one last dance at the International Fight Week next year, it would be interesting to see how the welterweight champion reacts to that fight once it’s announced.

Maybe he will actually root for the Irishman, seeing that their bond finally seems to be getting better now.