Daniel Cormier stirred up UFC fans with a bold comment about Conor McGregor and his connection to Khabib Nurmagomedov, who rose to international fame after being an underrated but dominant UFC champion.
Even though Cormier and McGregor don’t share a good relationship due to the Irish fighter’s fierce rivalry with Cormier’s friend Khabib, the former champion gave McGregor credit for playing a key role in Khabib’s rise.
Daniel Cormier recently said in an interview:
“I respect and appreciate him for being that guy for my brother Khabib. Because without Conor McGregor, Khabib doesn’t go to the moon. You need that guy.”
Indeed, the 2018 fight between Nurmagomedov and McGregor catapulted Khabib into global stardom.
Cormier believes that, “Even if they don’t like each other, they might need each other to reach the next level.”
This idea—that McGregor helped elevate Khabib’s career—has divided UFC fans. Some found it offensive, while others agree that it’s simply how things happened.
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A new rivalry on the rise
Cormier also believes that the Khabib-McGregor dynamic could repeat itself with a new feud: Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria. Both fighters share similar profiles to their predecessors, and the verbal jabs are already heating up.
Although the rivalry hasn’t fully developed yet, the path they’re on mirrors that of McGregor and Khabib. In fact, the two fighters are currently in a war of words, and fans expect it to lead to an epic showdown.
If the fight materializes, both will find themselves in the spotlight, potentially ushering in a new era in UFC.
