Conor McGregor has publicly criticized Donald Trump after the former president praised Khabib Nurmagomedov as his favorite UFC fighter. Trump made the comments during a live stream with Adin Ross, which did not sit well with McGregor. The Irish fighter took to social media to express his disapproval, calling Trump’s endorsement a “campaign ending decision” and suggesting that an American fighter should have been chosen instead.
This marks a significant shift in McGregor’s stance towards Trump, whom he had previously supported. Following an assassination attempt on Trump last month, McGregor had praised him, calling Trump a “78-year-old multiple billionaire” running for the love of his country. However, McGregor has since retracted his statements about Trump’s wealth, clarifying that he was wrong and that Trump’s net worth is actually just “a couple hundred million.”
Donald Trump says Khabib Nurmagomedov is his favorite UFC fighter, and details the conversation he had with him about the war between Russia and Ukraine
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 5, 2024
? KICK / @adinross #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/h8pH72WaVT
Video: X/@ChampRDS
McGregor’s animosity towards Khabib is well-documented, stemming from his loss to the undefeated fighter in October 2018. He has consistently taken opportunities to criticize Khabib on social media, and Trump’s recent comments clearly aggravated these feelings. Fellow UFC fighter Michael Chandler defended Trump, challenging McGregor’s bravery and referencing their postponed fight due to McGregor’s toe injury.
The UFC community has yet to see a response from Dana White, the organization’s president, who is known to be a close friend of Trump. McGregor’s posts have since been deleted, but the incident has already sparked significant reactions within the sports world. The clash highlights the ongoing tensions and rivalries within the UFC, extending beyond the octagon to the political arena.
