Former UFC Champion Says Conor McGregor Was the Perfect Villain for Khabib Nurmagomedov

Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov (Image Credits: Imagn)

Former UFC Champion Says Conor McGregor Was the Perfect Villain for Khabib Nurmagomedov

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Sarthak Khanna | Last updated May 22, 2026 4:01 AM ET

One of the greatest rivalries in MMA was between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov . While Khabib won the fight, there’s no denying that McGregor kept him pushing throughout his career. Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman believes that Khabib was able to build a legacy as strong as this one thanks to the ‘Notorious.’

“Khabib is not Khabib without Conor,” Usman said, while also making it clear that the Dagestani fighter’s talent and dominance were never in question. “He is that because of his talents and how good he was. But you needed that foe, that bad guy, to vanquish to get you there.”

Kamaru Usman suggests that Khabib Nurmagomedov wouldn’t be who he is right now without Conor McGregor:

“Khabib is not Khabib without Conor. He is that because of his talents and how good he was.

But you needed that foe, that bad guy to vanquish to get you there.”

(via… pic.twitter.com/l7DjUuM8TZ
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) May 22, 2026

According to Usman, every great sports story needs a villain, and McGregor became exactly that figure during the build-up to their heated UFC rivalry.

Their matchup still remains one of the most intense UFC feuds of all time. Their clash at UFC 229 in October 2018 broke pay-per-view records and carried months of personal tension, trash talk, and bad blood. Khabib eventually defeated McGregor via fourth-round submission before the infamous post-fight brawl erupted inside the arena.

Daniel Cormier Reveals Details About Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov Altercation

It all happened at UFC 229. While it was supposed to be a routine UFC card, it turned pretty ugly pretty fast. After the final bell, Conor McGregor couldn’t control himself and attacked Khabib. To prevent any further damage, Cormier, who was cageside with his son, stepped in to difuse the situation.

“I was there with my son. Khabib’s one of my teammates. I jumped over the fence to go help,” Cormier said. “I finally caught my head, and I was like, ‘Let me try to stop the fight.’ However, what followed took the former UFC star by surprise. “my son — my 10-year-old son — tried to go help me. Security had to grab my family and put them in the back,” he revealed.

What happened that night at UFC 229 was a security nightmare. The UFC had to enter proper damage-control mode after this. But still, fans got to witness one of the best MMA fights of all time.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: