It’s no surprise that, in the buildup to UFC 229, and his lightweight title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor has looked to make things personal. McGregor has taken digs at Khabib’s father, at his manager, and at some of his other, less savory associations. He also took a swipe at the ‘Eagle’’s sparring partner and teammate, UFC featherweight Zubaira Tukhugov.
The Chechen fighter has been a fixture in the Dagestani champion’s camp for UFC 229. And McGregor took the opportunity of their association to try and stoke some longstanding ethnic tensions.
“A true Chechen would never assist in a Dagestani led attack on another Chechen,” McGregor posted on Instagram along with a picture of Tukhugov, referencing Nurmagomedov’s confrontation with Artem Lobov at a New York hotel – where it’s rumored that Tukhugov insulted another Chechen fighter who was with Lobov.