Conor McGregor launched a scathing attack on his bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov via social media, falsely calling the former UFC champion a “terrorist”.
At least 20 people were killed on Sunday when gunmen stormed religious sites and a police checkpoint in Dagestan, a Russian republic famous for producing numerous world champions in combat sports, including Nurmagomedov.
Images of black-clad militants setting fire to religious sites and opening fire with automatic rifles were widely shared online after the incident.
A synagogue in the regional capital Makhachkala was engulfed in flames amid the attacks on Sunday, with smoke seen rising from the building.
Another group of attackers set fire to a second synagogue in Derbent, Russia’s southernmost city, located approximately 130 kilometers to the south.
Conor McGregor launched a scathing tirade against his former UFC opponent Khabib Nurmagomedov on social media
The outlandish accusations come after gunmen attacked religious sites in Nurmagomedov’s homeland of Dagestan, a Russian republic.
Two synagogues and an Orthodox church in southern Russia were targeted in attacks that left at least 20 dead
The regional governor of the area later claimed that the “bandits” involved in the attacks had been “eliminated”.
One of the shooters is believed to have been mixed martial arts fighter Gadzhimurad Kagirov, who was affiliated with a gym operated by the former UFC lightweight champion.
There, gunmen also attacked a couple of Orthodox churches where they reportedly beheaded a priest.
The area’s regional governor, Sergei Melikov, later said the “bandits” had been “eliminated” as clips showed members of the Russian FSB security service standing over bloodied corpses at the scene of the shooting.
In the wake of the horrific attacks, it emerged that one of the people believed to have been involved was Gadzhimurad Kagirov, an accomplished freestyle wrestler turned undefeated MMA fighter.
Reports claim that Kagirov had been affiliated with Nurmagomedov’s training center located in the area.
However, in addition to condemning the attacks, Nurmagomedov categorically denied that Kagirov had been a member of his team, although he noted that the former fighter may have previously trained at his gym.
“(Kagirov) is not our student, that is absolute nonsense, it is not true,” Nurmagomedov told Russian media.
“Yes, he had a camp at the gym at some point, maybe for a couple of months, but he was never part of the team.”
Images shared on social media platform X on Friday purportedly showed Russian authorities surrounding the gym in preparation for a raid, with local media reporting Security forces had conducted searches at the school..
Former UFC two-weight class champion McGregor shared the post and added ‘#ConorWasRight’, a reference to previous accusations he made about Nurmagomedov, followed by a series of outlandish claims about his former opponent.
The Irishman continued his rant on social media by writing ‘Shit on the bus terrorist’, a reference to an incident in which he attacked a bus containing Nurmagomedov and other fighters before the UFC 223 event in 2018.
In a social media post, McGregor referred to Nurmagomedov as a ‘terrorist’ while alluding to the infamous pre-UFC 223 bus incident.
The Irishman also reposted a clip purportedly showing Russian authorities preparing to raid Nurmagomedov’s gym in Dagestan.
Russian media reports claimed that Nurmagomedov’s gym was searched in connection with the attacks.
McGregor bizarrely alleged that members of Nurmagomedov’s team had “held hostage” drug testers who visited his gym.
In another X-rated post, McGregor claimed he had broken his foot when he fought Nurmagomedov in 2018.
McGregor also made multiple unsubstantiated allegations that members of Nurmagomedov’s team had held drug testers hostage at his gym before forcing them to accept someone else’s samples, and that a video existed of the 35-year-old “trashing” a “crowded venue” with a bat.
‘At the terrorist gym, when a tester showed up, they would take him hostage and give clean urine to a random person compared to the fighters they were looking to test.
“It will all come to light now. When this hits you, watch what comes to the surface.
“There is a video of Khabib entering a crowded place and completely destroying it with a bat, threatening everyone inside. It will all come out. Mystic Mac
In another expletive-laden post, McGregor claimed he had suffered a broken foot before the pair met inside the Octagon more than five years ago.
“I fought this little rat with a broken leg. I should have put it off like I did this time. Why did I give this little cousin an advantage?”
“He shit on that bus and showed his true chicken heart. The bitch turned into a spoiled child. Now you’re screwed! When you die, I’ll celebrate!”
McGregor also reignited his feud with Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz. On Friday he repeated a wild claim that the former judoka had been arrested in 2001 on suspicion of involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“Ali Aziz, come quickly and see what’s going on!” McGregor said in a since-deleted tweet.
“Oh, I forgot you can’t, since you were detained on a flight on September 11, 2001 and caught in possession of 5 different passports, leading you to turn informant against your own jihadist terrorist cell to save your own rat skin.”
The 35-year-old also shared a photo of himself with the caption ‘Bulletproof Prada. Backed by GOD.’
In a now-deleted tweet, the former two-weight UFC champion reiterated previous allegations about Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz.
McGregor previously alleged that Abdelaziz (pictured) had been detained on the day of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The 35-year-old made similar claims during the build-up to his fight with Nurmagomedov in October 2018.
McGregor then shared a photo of himself wearing designer clothing with the caption: “Prada Bulletproof.” Backed by GOD’.
Earlier this week, Nurmagomedov condemned the attacks as “inhumane.”
‘Go into a church and kill someone just because they practice a different religion. Do I really need to condemn this? Isn’t it clear that this is a brutal and inhuman act? Nurmagomedov told Russian state broadcaster Ruptly.
‘Where and when has something like this (been normal?) In Dagestan, there are more than 30 nationalities and, of course, the majority practice Islam, but we also have Jews and Christians.
‘This has never happened in the 30 or 35 years I have lived in Dagestan.
‘They were killing people five minutes from my house. How can this be normal? My children live there, my mother lives there, my family lives there, my brother, relatives are five minutes from that place. I received calls until the morning.
“They were saying that people were being killed and that some anti-terrorist operations were being carried out.”
In a post on Instagram after the attack, Nurmagomedov sent his condolences to the victims and their loved ones.
“My deepest condolences to all the family and friends of the victims,” he wrote.
‘May Allah save us all from such situations and grant us a peaceful sky above our heads.
Nurmagomedov condemned the attack and shared his condolences to the victims earlier this week.
‘Take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and take care of those around you and your children, who you interact with and who is around you.
‘Educating souls is more important than educating bodies.’
Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor when the two fought for the UFC lightweight title, submitting his opponent with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round to maintain his undefeated record.