Conor McGregor fans the flames of Ireland vs. Dagestan beef with Khabib Nurmagomedov with a provocative statement: "Irish fighters licking his a*se"

Conor McGregor has weighed in on Khabib Nurmagomedov's claim that Irish MMA pales in comparison to Dagestani MMA. The Irishman took to Instagram with a response to his heated rival's opinion on his country's accomplishments in mixed martial arts. However, the manner in which he did so was uncharacteristic.

Usually, McGregor lashes out with vitriolic comments. This time, though, the Irishman opted to turn Irish fighters against Nurmagomedov by claiming that the latter has repaid their admiration for him with criticism. He shared a screenshot on his Instagram story of a since-deleted tweet of his.

"Loads of Irish fighter[s] licking his a*se years then he says yous are all sh*te"

A screenshot of Conor McGregor's Instagram story

McGregor and Nurmagomedov are no strangers to each other, having one of the most deeply personal feuds in MMA history. The Irishman, in particular, has crossed the line with his trash talk numerous times when it comes to Nurmagomedov, whether it's mocking the latter's wife or deceased father.

The two, though, were once friends or, at the very least, on friendly terms when they competed in different divisions: McGregor at featherweight, and Nurmagomedov on lightweight. But after McGregor moved up to lightweight, tension began to simmer between the two.

However, their animosity truly began after Nurmagomedov responded to the Irishman's then close friend Artem Lobov speaking ill of him in an interview. While addressing comparisons between McGregor and Nurmagomedov, Lobov characterized Nurmagomedov as lesser, using less-than-flattering terms.

In response, Nurmagomedov and his entourage surrounded Lobov at a fighter hotel sometime later, during which 'The Eagle' cornered and slapped him, filming the entire incident. This enraged McGregor, who gathered his own entourage and ultimately attacked a UFC 223 Media Day bus which Nurmagomedov was on.

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Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov settled their differences partially at UFC 229

Following Conor McGregor's infamous bus attack, he was scheduled to face Khabib Nurmagomedov for the Dagestani phenom's then lightweight title. They locked horns at UFC 229, where McGregor's relentless trash talk had put Nurmagomedov's honor at stake.

However, once the cage door was closed, it was a dominant affair on Nurmagomedov's behalf. He outwrestled McGregor and excelled in the striking department, even knocking him down before ultimately submitting him in round four.

Afterward, a post-fight brawl sparked by Nurmagomedov's team completely overshadowed his performance. Both men have been at odds since, often chirping at each other on X/Twitter, especially McGregor.