"He's submitting him here too" - Fans react as stats claim Khabib Nurmagomedov gained 1.8M followers in 2024 while Conor McGregor lost 735,000-plus

A recent report claiming Khabib Nurmagomedov gained more followers than Conor McGregor in 2024 elicited varied reactions from the combat sports community. While many people praised Nurmagomedov, others pointed out that given his status as a superstar, McGregor is unlikely to be bothered.

The rivalry between Nurmagomedov and McGregor has been one of the most fierce in the sport. Red Corner MMA, a combat sports media site, took to social media and released a comparison of the former lightweight champions' Instagram followers from last year till now, noting that the Irishman lost over 735,000 followers while Nurmagomedov earned more than 1.8 million, writing:

''In May 2024, Conor McGregor reached his highest follower count on @instagram with 47,685,569. However, he currently has 46,949,624 followers, which means he has lost 735,945 followers since then. On the other hand, Khabib started 2024 with 36,643,916 followers and ended it with 38,478,457 followers in 2025. Equating to Khabib gaining 1,834,541 followers. Sourced by the Red Corner team using Hafi Pro, numbers subject to change.''

Fans soon rushed to the comments section to share their reactions.

One fan wrote:

''Even he's submitting him here too''

Another one stated:

''It doesn't matter . He's never gonna overthrow Conor in most followed MMA athlete. The throne is McGregor's alone.''

Other fans wrote:

''The real numbers are in Conor's bank account. @thenotoriousmma''

''Khabib can unite everyone around to watch the sport, kids wanna be Khabib, parents most of them will not feel nervous about it. But the other guy, he had a persona for the competition that he couldn’t get over it.''

Check out more reactions below:

Fan reactions [Screenshots courtesy: @redcorner.mma on Instagram]

Nurmagomedov and McGregor met inside the octagon in a lightweight title bout in the main event of UFC 229 in 2018. 'The Eagle' defended his throne by submitting McGregor via rear naked choke in the fourth round.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov alerts everyone about a new Russian prospect

Following his retirement in 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov took up the role of a coach and guided several Dagestani fighters to glory, including his close friend Islam Makhachev, who submitted Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to become the lightweight champion.

Another fighter who is coming through the ranks of the Nurmagomedov clan is 25-year-old Amru Magomedov, who recently defended his lightweight title by securing an opening round knockout win against Alex da Silva at UAE Warriors 58. 'The Eagle' then posted the clip of Magomedov on Instagram, writing:

''REMEMBER THAT GUY.” [H/t: Bloody Elbow]

Check out Amru Magomedov's knockout finish below: