Conor McGregor full of surprises as he makes a stand against sexism

Conor McGregor and controversial media stories have been a constant sideshow to the Irishman’s career over the past decade. With one salubrious story of assaults and bar brawls following another, seeing him hit the headlines for his activities outside the octagon has become part of the MMA landscape. 

As such, you might think you are beyond being surprised by any McGregor headlines the tabloid press can throw at you. Think again. Conor McGregor might be associated with many things, but an advocate for feminism and equal rights? It’s a new one, but the man is making a stand, and he’s doing so in his own inimitable style. 

Absolute cretin

McGregor took the opportunity to weigh in on the side of feminism when Islam Makhachev, a UFC lightweight from Dagestan sent Twitter into meltdown in the wake of Zhang Weili’s historic win at UFC 248. While most of the sport’s enthusiasts were discussing what was arguably one of the most compelling women’s fights in the sport’s history, Makhachev espoused the view that MMA is “not a women’s sport.”

McGregor’s was not the only voice of protest, but it was probably the loudest. He labeled Makhachev an “absolute cretin” and described him as a “steroid cheat that will do anything to avoid impact and stall a fight.”

The story behind the story

This is one instance in which Conor McGregor has opened his mouth and managed to avoid putting his foot in it. Makhachev’s comment was as ridiculous as it was mystifying, and unsurprisingly, it was quickly deleted. However, there is a story behind the story.

If Makhachev’s home of Dagestan sounds familiar, it is because this Russian territory is also the birthplace of a certain Khabib Nurmagomedov. The two grew up together and remain close friends, team mates and training partners to this day. In other words, Makhachev’s ill-advised outburst provided the perfect opportunity for McGregor to get a dig in at his biggest rival and the man he is desperate to fight again after the disappointment of UFC 229.

It seems increasingly probable that the fight everyone is waiting for will take place sooner or later. McGregor is still on the comeback trail, and Nurmagomedov is currently focused on getting past Tony Ferguson next month in New York. The current thinking among MMA betting experts and bookmakers is that the Russian will have the measure of the man from California, and most are quoting Nurmagomedov at around 1/3 on for the win.

If the bookies are right, then and only then will Nurmagomedov pay serious attention to McGregor and give “The Notorious” the rematch that he craves. In the meantime, however, McGregor’s attempts to get a rise out of his rival through Makhachev’s social blunders have not gone unnoticed. 

Nurmagomedov reacted by going on a social media offensive of his own, sharing a pair of images. One was a still of McGregor getting the worse of it at UFC 229, with the caption “Heeeelp” while the other showed that infamous moment when McGregor punched a patron in a Dublin pub. 

The message was loud and clear. What is also in no doubt is that this is one war of words that will run for a good while yet before the pair finally get to settle their differences in the octagon.