In a recent conversation on the Hustle Show podcast, retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov addressed speculation about whether featherweight champion Ilia Topuria could become “the next Conor McGregor” in terms of stardom and appeal beyond MMA.
When asked if Topuria could fill that role, Khabib didn’t hesitate.
“No, he’s a good guy.”
The former lightweight king expanded on that thought, suggesting the sort of tension and spectacle that fueled his infamous rivalry with McGregor just isn’t something you can force.
“You can tell he’s trying to be someone,”
Khabib said of Topuria, implying the Georgian-Spanish MMA star’s self-marketing felt more like theater than truth.
Khabib admitted that high-level matchups featuring Topuria and Islam Makhachev might spark serious interest among fans of the sport — but the kind of crossover tension that his clash with McGregor created? Not happening.
“The interest, the clash of styles, two champion fighters — sure, that can happen. But not a rivalry like ours.”
He reflected on what made his bout with McGregor different — a narrative that wasn’t crafted in a boardroom.
“It was a real rivalry. And the ending was just like in the movies— Good triumphed. It all happened very naturally. That’s what made the fight blow up.”
Khabib pointed to the personalities involved as a key factor. Topuria and Makhachev, in his view, aren’t cut from the same cloth as McGregor — not loud, not controversial, not the type to stir up a mess just to sell tickets.
“Sometimes it’s carefully constructed and it works. And sometimes it just happens on its own.”
While Topuria might keep rising as a technical force and a possible box office draw, Khabib made it clear that real rivalries aren’t born in press conferences. His take? The lightning-in-a-bottle nature of his saga with McGregor won’t be recreated any time soon.
