Khabib Nurmagomedov wouldn’t put Ilia Topuria in the same bracket as his notorious rival, Conor McGregor.<\/p>\n
The Khabib-Conor feud remains the biggest narrative in MMA history, culminating in one of the biggest boxing matches as McGregor stepped away to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr..<\/p>\n
While McGregor cultivates a new public-image, marred by many controversies, the UFC has a budding new star in Ilia Topuria, whom Nurmagomedov won’t compare to the Irishman just yet.<\/p>\n
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Sara Diggins\/American-Statesman \/ USA TODAY NETWORK<\/p>\n
Nurmagomedov spoke with journalist Adam Zubayraev on YouTube, where he was asked whether Topuria could be the next McGregor.<\/p>\n
“No [Topuria couldn’t be the next Conor], he’s a good guy,” Nurmagomedov said. “You can tell he’s trying to become someone. . . . I don’t think so.”<\/p>\n
Topuria is obviously very derivative of McGregor, from his tattoos to reciting some of ‘The Notorious” most popular lines. That said, ‘El Matador’ has distanced himself from the popular star, trading barbs with McGregor online.<\/p>\n
The lightweight king lashed out at McGregor on the Full Send podcast in 2024, remarking that he’s already a bigger star, bashing on McGregor’s mental state and walking back his idol status.<\/p>\n
“That guy is so sick\u2014he has some problems within himself, you know?” Topuria said. “At the same time, when he was starting in mixed martial arts, he was an idol for all of us. He was a great fighter, representing good values, and he did a lot for the sport. <\/p>\n
“But at some point, he betrayed the very principles that got him there. He became disrespectful to everyone around him\u2014to the people, to the fighters, to everyone. And at some point, when you act that way, people turn against you. If they support you, you have to give them the same love back.\u201d<\/p>\n
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