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McGregor (22-7) returned to action in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after a five-year hiatus against Max Holloway at UFC 329. However, the highly anticipated rematch ended anticlimactically as McGregor injured his knee with the first kick he threw. The Irishman could barely plant his leg after the injury, forcing the referee to step in at just 69 seconds of the opening round.
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Despite the longtime rivalry between their teams, Makhachev feels bad for the former two-division champ.
Islam Makhachev says Conor McGregor’s comeback ending in 69 seconds wasn’t how he expected the fight to unfold
While the Dagestani contingent aren’t fans of McGregor, Makhachev (28-1) commiserated with the fan favorite. While the reigning welterweight champion expected Holloway to win, he didn’t see the fight ending the way it did. Makhachev recently revealed that he was interested in seeing how McGregor would perform after five years of inactivity.
“Honestly, I feel bad,” Makhachev told Complex. “I know Max was going to beat him, but not fast like this, in the first minute. I want to see how he fights after five years. And honestly, feel bad when this happen.”
McGregor and Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, shared one of the most intense rivalries in UFC history. “Notorious” had targeted Nurmagomedov’s family and religion in the lead-up to their historic clash. When they finally met in the Octagon in 2018, “The Eagle” forced the tap from McGregor in the fourth round.
Nurmagomedov then jumped the cage and launched himself at McGregor’s teammates, leading to an all-out brawl. Makhachev was also involved, jumping inside the cage with other teammates, who attacked McGregor.
McGregor has one fight left on his current UFC contract, which he vows to fulfill, with a return next summer in sight. Meanwhile, in yet another chapter in the Dagestan-Ireland rivalry, Makhachev will look to defend his 170-pound title against Irish welterweight Ian Garry at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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