Rising UFC Prospect Wants Conor McGregor in His Corner to Avenge Humiliating Loss to Team Khabib

It is safe to say Conor McGregor destroyed his short-lived relationship with Irish up-and-comer and PFL star Paul Hughes. The Belfast native, who once revered ‘The Notorious’ for paving the way to MMA for a generation of Irish fighters, expressed disappointment after having a back-and-forth spat owing to Hughes showing respect to Khabib Nurmagomedov and his Dagestani camp after the 155fer’s slugfest against Usman Nurmagomedov at PFL: Road to Dubai for the Bellator gold.

Moreover, the former double champ and ‘The Eagle’ have been mortal enemies ever since their iconic yet infamous UFC 229 bout ended in infamy for the Irishman and a brawl for the ages. But it seems like there’s a UFC prospect waiting for his title fight against Islam Makhachev, and he has expressed wanting to give the Irishman his redemption shot. There is no denying that Mauricio Ruffy has burst onto the UFC scene with a series of impressive performances. Claiming to be a big fan of the Irish megastar, the Fighting Nerds prospect revealed that he has incorporated bits from McGregor’s playbook into his fighting style.

But what was more interesting was his wish for ‘The Notorious’ to be there when he gets inside the Octagon for his biggest fight. Ruffy has seemingly promised to take on Islam Makhachev to give Conor McGregor a win over Team Khabib. When and if he’s able to get that fight in the future, the 28-year-old wants the former double champion to be there so that they can achieve that goal together. “In the construction of Mauricio Ruffy, there was always a little bit of Conor McGregor there… I’m a big Conor McGregor fan. I love McGregor’s style, and there is a little bit of McGregor there,” Mauricio Ruffy told ‘MMA Junkie’, according to his translator.

“When I’m ready to fight Islam Makhachev when I go to fight him, I want to invite Conor McGregor to be in my corner. So it’s us against the Russians. I want McGregor there. I want McGregor to be able to be up close and taste the victory for when I beat the Russians,” the lightweight prospect added. “Khabib’s gonna be there, of course, so I want McGregor to be there as part of my corner for when I defeat them and put an end to Islam Makhachev.”

There is certainly no love lost between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, and the bad blood still exists to this day. And while the Irishman did not get a win or a chance for a rematch, he continues to mock ‘The Eagle’, which also happened recently.

Conor McGregor mocks Khabib Nurmagomedov and others with a KO record

Conor McGregor has never showcased a good ground game, which is part of the reason why he could not overcome Khabib Nurmagomedov. But he holds a record that only one other fighter has when it comes to the Dagestan native. He, along with Justin Gaethje, are the only fighters to win a round against Khabib in his entire MMA career. And as we all know, McGregor is one of the most deadly counter-punchers MMA has ever seen, helping him register several knockouts in his entire MMA career.

‘The Notorious’ made sure to remind his arch-rival, while also taking shots at Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev in an Instagram post. While the trio, combined, have 19 knockouts in total, McGregor alone has 19 knockouts to his name. Moreover, it’s not the first time he’s shown off his knockout record, and judging by how things look, he seems to be very proud of it.

Well, Mauricio Ruffy is probably a few steps away from getting a title shot, given that the division is stacked at the moment and he’s yet to make it to the top 15 as well. Meanwhile, let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!