It has been more than half a decade since Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor clashed against each other at UFC 229. Yet, their rivalry still goes on. And social media has been witnessing their online battle for all this time. Neither have spared any chance to bash the other on social media. However, despite all the troubles that the fighters have endured, it rarely seemed like McGregor’s troubles were enough to make him lose his fans. But that tide seems to have turned and ‘The Eagle’ kept soaring higher and higher. Still confused? Let’s get straight to the point!

Back in May 2024, ‘The Notorious’ had his highest follower count on Instagram. The numbers were around 47,685,569. And now, these numbers read 46,949,624. This means that he has been losing followers at a steady rate, and has already lost around 735,945 followers. Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov has been winning the trust and support of the fighting community. In 2024, ‘The Eagle’ had an Instagram fan following of 36,643,916, and now the number lies around 38,478,569. This means that the Dagestani star has gained more than 1.8 million followers in a year. 

Red Corner MMA brought this to light through their Instagram account. They used Hafi Pro, a content creation tool that allows the creators to analyze their performance and track their competitors’ insights. Even though the numbers are subject to change, Nurmagomedov can be seen as gaining ground in the social media war, don’t you agree? 

Well, the fighting community certainly believed so. As soon as Red Corner MMA dropped the post on Instagram, the fight fans took over the comments section to reveal their thoughts. Let’s see what they had to say.

What do fans have to say about Khabib Nurmagomedov closing in on Conor McGregor’s social media following?

Well, the one thing that the fight fans believed was responsible for Conor McGregor’s loss was the change in his values. A fan weighed in on this and wrote, “Mcgregor really messed up his image one he lost his values and change to this person that he is now.” On top of that, ‘The Notorious’ has gotten himself involved in several controversies. It’s most likely the civil case that Nikita Hand filed against him that pushed the fans to unfollow him. One of the fans decided to take up a funny tone and anticipated a reaction from McGregor. The comment read, “I’m waiting for Conor’s reaction when khabib surpasses him lol 😂.”

Nevertheless, the numbers cemented Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legacy as an undefeated former lightweight champion. A fan wrote, “it means khabib is still undefeated.” Another fan joined in and commented, “That is why Khabib is the real GOAT.” And one of the reasons why ‘The Eagle’ continued to rise, was his authenticity. That’s what a fan reflected on by writing, “Khabib is catching up because he’s authentic amongst many other reasons.”

But one of the major reasons for this success was Nurmagomedov’s nature as a coach. He was the reason why Islam Makhachev rose to the top and became an undisputed champion sitting on the P4P throne. One fan pointed this out and wrote, “Khabib made his friend a pound-for-pound champion—what did Conor do?” Another fan added, “Followers don’t matter khabib has made his friend islam a champion and he continues his father’s legacy. Nobody in the history did that.” 

What are your thoughts on the war for IG followers between Nurmagomedov and McGregor? Why do you think is McGregor losing this war? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.