"Show it to your son" - When Khabib Nurmagomedov backed Islam Makhachev after six-word tweet on women's MMA drew scathing response from Conor McGregor

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev have long been friends and training partners. Makhachev once put forth a polarizing tweet regarding women's MMA, which drew a sharp reaction from Nurmagomedov's archrival Conor McGregor. Taking to Twitter (now known as X), McGregor lambasted Makhachev before 'The Eagle' swooped in to defend his friend.

The incident transpired in March 2020 after what many hail as one of the greatest combat sports contests ever. UFC women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili successfully defended her title with a split decision victory against ex-UFC women's strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Their five-round thriller co-headlined UFC 248 on March 7, 2020.

It saw the legendary Jedrzejczyk suffer a gruesome hematoma, which covered a considerable portion of her head. Thankfully, the Polish MMA great subsequently recovered. Certain sections of the combat sports community, who've often claimed that women shouldn't compete as professional fighters, reaffirmed their stance after the UFC 248 fight.

Then-UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev was one of the prominent figures who indicated that women should steer clear of professional fighting. In a since-deleted tweet, Makhachev seemingly addressed women's MMA. His six-word tweet read as follows:

"This is not a woman's sport"

Many netizens criticized Makhachev over the tweet. Back then, McGregor was pursuing a potential rematch against then-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. 'The Eagle' had defeated McGregor via submission in October 2018. Taking to X, the Irishman aimed at Nurmagomedov's friend, Islam Makhachev.

Dagestan's Makhachev was pulled from his scheduled fight against Drew Dober in April 2016 after it was discovered that he'd tested positive for meldonium, which was a substance banned by the UFC's then-drug testing partner USADA.

Per Fox Sports, it was subsequently determined that the drug was prescribed to him in relation to a heart procedure in 2015. Makhachev was cleared and returned to action later in 2016. Nevertheless, after Makhachev's tweet about women's MMA in 2020, McGregor cited the failed PED test and tweeted:

"A Convicted Steroid cheat that will do anything to avoid impact and stall a fight, and then talks down on one of the greatest exchanges of combat ever produced by our female combatants. These little gremlins! It's back on. Filthy rats. Shame on the game."

McGregor later deleted the tweet. Nurmagomedov came to Makhachev's defense, posting an image of himself out-grappling McGregor from their 2018 fight. He beratingly wrote:

"Heeeelp"

Moreover, Nurmagomedov referenced McGregor's reported pub altercation with an elderly man. Re-posting the supposed video footage from that incident, 'The Eagle' wrote:

"show it to your son and say how good you are on the street fight"

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A look at Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, and Islam Makhachev's careers in 2025

The unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA in October 2020. The ex-lightweight kingpin has since helped coach his fellow Dagestani friends and relatives, including Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov. Incidentally, Khabib too previously made similar comments concerning women's MMA.

Meanwhile, ex-UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor, who last fought in the UFC in July 2021, has maintained that he could compete in an exhibition boxing bout in India in 2025.

Furthermore, reigning UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev faces Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, 2025. Makhachev could break Nurmagomedov's record for the most consecutive UFC lightweight title defenses (3) at UFC 311.