UFC insider gets brutally honest about Khabib Nurmagomedov's dismissive take on Irish MMA: "Seven of them have Olympic gold"

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s dismissive comments about Irish fighters have reignited the rivalry between the Dagestani and Irish MMA communities, leaving fans and pundits divided. Recently, a UFC veteran weighed in and shared his thoughts on the former UFC lightweight champion’s remarks.

Nurmagomedov and McGregor shared one of the most heated rivalries in UFC history. The bitterness leading up to the event resulted in one of the most infamous post-fight brawls at UFC 229. Both fighters were suspended for a few fights and fined for their actions.

Khabib’s cousin, Usman Nurmagomedov, is set to defend his Bellator lightweight title against Irish fighter Paul Hughes at Bellator Champions Series: Road to Dubai. The promotion is marketing the bout as the second chapter of the Dagestani vs. Ireland rivalry.

In an interview with the PFL, ‘The Eagle’ dismissed the Irish MMA scene, labeling it as inferior and pointing out that it primarily consists of only McGregor and Hughes. He further asserted the dominance of Dagestani fighters across all major MMA promotions.

In his recent YouTube video, Chael Sonnen backed Khabib’s bold claims, emphasizing the dominance of Dagestani athletes, particularly in Olympic wrestling. Sonnen stated:

“There are 2,000 people in the village where Khabib's from, and seven of them have Olympic gold medals. That is crazy. I went to 2,000; that's how many people I had in my high school in the mid-'90s. Seven Olympic gold medals!' It's just a very different thing.”

“Khabib's point about bragging about Dagestan or Khabib's region versus anywhere on Earth—you might not like it, it might offend you, but there's no way to say he's wrong. That is simply not fiction. It is accurate, and you’ve got to understand the region," he added.

Check out Chael Sonnen’s comments below (3:55):

---

Paul Hughes claps back at Khabib Nurmagomedov, takes a dig at his cousin’s drug test failure

Ireland's top MMA prospect, Paul Hughes, didn’t hold back and fired shots at Khabib Nurmagomedov over his remarks on the Irish MMA landscape.

Hughes took to X and shared an article about Usman Nurmagomedov, who was banned for six months after testing positive for a banned substance following his win over Brent Primus in 2023—a victory that was later overturned.

Hughes wrote:

"Dagestan No. 1 at juicing bratha."

Check out Paul Hughes' X post below: