Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to Islam Makhachev breaking his UFC record, Conor McGregor talks Donald Trump, and more: MMA News Roundup

Khabib Nurmagomedov has penned reactions to Islam Makhachev's UFC 311 win as well as Umar Nurmagomedov's loss. Elsewhere, Conor McGregor was spotted at Donald Trump's Washington D.C. rally, posing with politicians and giving interviews.

Here are today's top combat sports updates, presented by Sportskeeda MMA.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to Islam Makhachev's win

On Saturday night, Islam Makhachev broke Khabib Nurmagomedov's UFC record, which he held alongside BJ Penn, Benson Henderson, and Frankie Edgar. All four have three title defenses at 155 pounds, the highest for the division.

At UFC 311, Makhachev finished short-notice opponent Renato Moicano in the first round with a D'Arce choke, defending his belt for the fourth time. 'The Eagle' later wrote on Instagram:

"Islam Makhachev has once again proven that he is the best in the world right now, and I am very happy for him and the journey he has taken in this sport, in the history of mixed martial arts, very few fighters have achieved what he has achieved. Keep working my brother, this is not the limit."

He also reacted to Umar Nurmagomedov's loss against Merab Dvalishvili. He asked his younger cousin to keep his head up and "work on the mistakes" to find his way back to title contention.

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Conor McGregor comments on Donald Trump's 2024 presidential win

Conor McGregor was among the A-listers at Donald Trump's victory rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. on the eve of the inauguration ceremony. He posed with UK leader Nigel Farage, who is touted to be the next British Prime Minister.

Elon Musk and UFC CEO Dana White delivered speeches, while Kid Rock performed to mark the occasion.

Speaking with Daily Wire at the event, McGregor made a comparison between how the American public's opinion was around Trump's 2016 victory and 2024 one:

"It's a good time here in the United States. I was here the last time Donald Trump became the president [in] 2016. The energy and the response is night and day, which is a testament to how he has done as a president in his las [term] and how he has handled himself since."

When asked how it is different from last time, the UFC star said:

"Lessons learned. Hard lessons learned, and a backing of his country now. I feel the people are backing him."

He ended the answer by wishing Trump good luck with the presidency. He refused to give any definitive answer to the claim that he would be running for Ireland's presidency soon.

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Details of scary injuries Merab Dvalishvili dealt with during UFC 311 fight camp

Merab Dvalishvili's injuries have been a topic of conversation for the entire UFC 311 fight week. He refused to elaborate on the matter before the event.

During the post-fight press conference, the Georgian showed off the cuts on his leg that were open and infected up until a few days before the title clash with Umar Nurmagomedov. He also had a back injury that interfered with his training.

Speaking with Submission Radio, Dvalishvili's coach John Wood shed light on how the injuries affected the camp:

"He got his leg cut up on our bleachers... He left it, kept training through it, eventually got it stitched up too late. The stitch busted and then he restitched it. His whole shin became infected. It was a concern of even getting cleared for this fight. The staph infection was gone but the skin we were really afraid of... He couldn't use that leg for the entire camp."

Wood added that Dvalishvili was offered to wrap the leg up for the fight by the UFC medical experts, but the refused to "show any kind of weakness" inside the octagon. As for the back pain, it was simply an unfortunate accident.

"He said the other day the UFC Embedded came by, or The Countdown, and he was out doing his workout on the street, jumped up the wrong way, and then pinched his nerve [in his back] and couldn't walk for a week."

Watch John Wood's comments below (7:00):