The UFC is no stranger to heated rivalries, but few can match the intensity of the ongoing feud between Conor McGregor and the Dagestani camp led by Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. With McGregor currently facing a civil case that’s captured global attention, Makhachev didn’t hold back on social media.

Taking to X, he called McGregor a “Filthy b—-,” adding accusations of substance abuse and worse. Daniel Cormier, a respected voice in the MMA world, offering his perspective, described the McGregor-Dagestan rivalry “as nasty as any rivalry as we have seen in mixed martial arts.”

Why would Makhachev, typically measured in public, go all out with such scathing remarks? That’s exactly what left Cornier surprised. “Honestly, it seems a little bit off-brand for Islam,” he said, noting that the lightweight champ is usually more reserved. Was it the heat of the moment, or something deeper at play?

Still, Cormier wasn’t completely caught off guard, pointing out the generic culture of the sport. “I know the boys, the boys love to talk trash. The boys love to mess around the boys will tell you what they feel,” Cormier said. But even the former ‘champ champ’ was shaken when McGregor went after Khabib’s deceased father, a revered figure in MMA, after ‘The Eagles’ remark on McGregor’s UFC 264 leg break. So there weren’t really many lines left to cross in this conflict.

Earlier this year, when Nurmagomedov was facing issues in Russia over alleged tax evasion, McGregor took shots, saying, “Brotha I just put in to buy your family home off government because you can’t afford I plan on big smelly Irish sh*t.” His family home in Dagestan had reportedly been seized over a tax debt of over $3M. So, it’s not a surprise the Dagestanis are making the most of McGregor’s legal troubles.

While the undeniable animosity between these two camps is unlike anything else in MMA, Khabib Nurmagomedov, in contrast to Islam, maintained his composed demeanor while addressing McGregor’s legal issues. Instead of insults, he called for accountability and consequences. What does this say about their contrasting approaches? Is Khabib’s calm critique more impactful than Makhachev’s fiery words?

The McGregor- Dagestan clash, a rivalry like no other

What makes this rivalry so different? It’s not just about selling fights or hyping up matches, This is personal. The tension between ‘The Eagle’ and ‘Notorious’ reached a boiling point after the infamous UFC 229 brawl, where fists flew not only in the cage but in the crowd as well. Since then, it’s been a steady escalation of words, actions, and now comments on Conor McGregor‘s off-cage troubles.

Is this animosity the most intense in UFC history? It certainly feels that way, especially now that it’s spilled into deeply personal territory like never before in the UFC world.

Cormier, reflecting on how these rivalries develop, put into perspective, “As long as there have been Sports, there have been instances like this.” But even the former champion of two weight classes admitted that McGregor’s beef with the Dagestani fighters is in a league of its own.

Islam Makhachev’s fiery words didn’t just criticize McGregor’s current legal troubles, they painted a broader picture of disdain for the man himself. “Many more facts to come out, trust me,” Islam Makhachev hinted, leaving us to wonder, is there more to this than we know?

It’s not just Islam who has gone after McGregor. Khabib himself took potshots at hir archrival on X, endorsing a supposed cryptocoin launched to support the alleged victim in McGregor’s legal case.

But the bigger question here is, have things gone too far? It’s one thing to exchange heated words for promotion, but when rivalries delve into legal cases, personal attacks, and national pride, where do you draw the line?

It’s personal now, and that is what makes this feud one of its kind. The stakes aren’t about wins and losses, they’re about respect, values, and grudges that will likely outlive their careers. Who do you side in this rivalry that no UFC fan can ignore? Let us know in the comments below!