Khabib Nurmagomedov thinks Conor will never be at peak again: ‘A Man Can’t Have 2 Primes’

Khabib Nurmagomedov recently claimed that his arch-rival Conor McGregor will never be at the top again as he believes that a fighter “can’t have two primes”. Nurmagomedov’s comments come just weeks after McGregor was battered by Dustin Poirier at the main event of UFC 257, ruining Dana White’s dream of a possible Khabib vs McGregor rematch. The Notorious One was a betting favourite going into the bout as he had defeated Poirier once in the past. However, with the help of some vicious leg kicks, The Diamond showed McGregor, eventually taking him down with a barrage of lefts and rights to win the fight in the second round.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov slams Conor McGregor

After the devastating loss, many started questioning whether McGregor would be able to replicate his past performances. Among those who doubt McGregor’s ability to rebound from the recent loss is Nurmagomedov, who defeated McGregor back in 2018 via a neck crank submission. The current reigning UFC lightweight champion thinks that his bitter rival will never return to the same heights that made him a mega-star and even got him a boxing match against legend Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

“I'm not talking about him [McGregor], What I mean is, a man can't have two primes. Team could do it. For example: Real Madrid did this a few times in a row. Teams may have this. But we're talking about us. And one man, on his own, cannot have this,” Khabib told ACA fighter Magomed Ismailov.

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McGregor return: Conor McGregor eager for Dustin Poirier trilogy

Since the conclusion of UFC 257, Conor McGregor has shown interest in fighting Poirier again, with The Diamond on board with the idea. UFC president Dana White also looks interested in booking the clash, saying last week that the highly-anticipated trilogy could happen later this year. According to reports, McGregor vs Poirier 3 could possibly be for the UFC title — if the promotion lets Nurmagomedov vacate his belt, considering the Eagle retired from the sport in October 2020, flowing his submission win over Justin Gaethje.

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Dana White has been adamant to bring the Eagle back for one last run, telling reporters that Nurmagomedov is still the reigning champion as he has defeated other top lightweights, including Poirier, McGregor and many others. The pair are set to meet again later this month to discusses Khabib Nurmagomedov’s future, who’s not just the reigning 155lb champion, but also 29-0 in MMA and the UFC pound-for-pound king.

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