When Conor McGregor defended ex-rival Jose Aldo against Khabib Nurmagomedov's trash talk: "100 times the fighter you are"

Conor McGregor once supported his former rival, Jose Aldo, against criticisms from another adversary, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Following a successful reign as the UFC featherweight champion, 'Junior' made the jump to the bantamweight division in search of a fresh start in the promotion in December 2019.

Aldo's first two outings at 135 pounds didn’t go as he had hoped. However, he quickly turned things around with three straight wins, leading many to believe they were witnessing a resurgence in the Brazilian icon's career.

During a press conference for Gorilla Fighting in August 2021 (via MMA Junkie), 'The Eagle' was questioned about Aldo having a career revival. Nurmagomedov dismissed the notion and asserted that Aldo was only competing for financial gain rather than a true comeback:

"He got beat up when he fought Petr Yan, right? Just like Aldo's fight against Pedro Munhoz, let him fight Yan the same way, and then we can say he has peaked again... That shows you're not at your peak. I call those fighters businessmen; they come out to make money."

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments below:

However, Nurmagomedov's critique of 'Junior' didn’t sit well with McGregor. 'The Notorious' took to X and fiercely condemned the undefeated Dagestani for speaking poorly of Aldo in a post that has since been deleted:

"Another press conference? Haha, for what? You are doing a whole load of nothing, mate. You and [Donald] Cerrone were locked in to fight since way back, and you never had the courage. You ran away, and now all you do is talk like b*tch. Aldo is 100 times the fighter you are and ever will be."

McGregor famously knocked out Aldo in just 13 seconds at UFC 194 in December 2015 to capture the 145-pound title. Despite sharing a fiery rivalry, both fighters have consistently spoken of each other with mutual respect ever since.

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When Conor McGregor was displeased with Jose Aldo’s decision to retire

During an interview with Megan Olivi in May 2023, Conor McGregor expressed his disappointment over Jose Aldo's initial decision to retire. 'The Notorious' remarked that Aldo was on the brink of earning another shot at the bantamweight title:

"Why did he retire? Was he not scheduled to fight again? I thought he was making inroads to the 135-pound title... I don't know, whatever the reason is, all the respect to him. A real fighter, [competed] in multiple divisions, world title winner and contender, and been around so long. All power to him. I wish him all the best."

Check out Conor McGregor's comments below (9:25):

'Junior' stepped away from MMA following a unanimous decision loss to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 in August 2022. However, Aldo made a triumphant return this past May, securing a dominant victory over Jonathan Martinez at UFC 301.