The dramatic world of mixed martial arts occasionally offers moments so intriguing that fans can’t help but lean in. For years, the saga between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov has dominated headlines, but what if the next act is about someone else pulling the strings behind the scenes? Recently on The Javier & Mo Show, Javier Mendez—widely known as the man behind the training legacy of arguably the greatest lightweight of all time, Khabib Nurmagomedov—dropped comments that now have fight fans buzzing about McGregor’s return.
In a conversation with Mo, Mendez’s words gradually laid the foundation for the big reveal. First, Mo framed the question: “Speaking of not fighting and coming back to fight, Conor McGregor is back in the testing pool. What’s your thoughts on that?” Then came the measured response from Mendez (J): he positioned McGregor not as a retreating superstar but as someone potentially gearing up again. Slowly and deliberately, the hard facts were revealed—the Irishman owns eight of the top ten pay‑per‑view buys in UFC history, including the four biggest ever. That, he argued, is reason enough for the UFC to want him back in the fold. Mendez admitted, “I had mentioned that he had the five top pay‑per‑view buys of all time. Well, he does…and I was wrong. He has the four top… and then he’s got number six… seven and eight, too…”
Only later did Mendez circle back to the quitting angle—pointing out that nobody merely re-enters the USADA testing pool unless they are genuinely intending to fight. He invoked Khabib’s case as precedent: “Khabib was never out of the testing pool… because Dana was holding on to hopes that maybe Khabib will fight.” From that example, he inferred that Conor’s testing‑pool return likely signals real intent. “So that being the case, if Conor’s involved, then that means, yeah, he’s really serious about fighting.”
Nearly seven years have passed since the chaos of UFC 223, yet the fallout still lingers like an open wound in MMA history. Former UFC featherweight Artem Lobov, now gearing up for his clash against Zubaira Tukhugov in the PFL, has once again dragged the notorious McGregor–Nurmagomedov rivalry back into the spotlight. The infamous “Slapgate” incident, which escalated into one of the most bitter rivalries in combat sports.
McGregor-Khabib slapgate controversy
This time, however, Lobov isn’t just reliving the past—he’s pointing fingers at Khabib Nurmagomedov for sparking The sequence of events that set the stage for UFC 223’s chaos began when Nurmagomedov and his entourage cornered Lobov in a hotel hallway, leading to what the Russian-Irish fighter still calls a slap across the face. That encounter ignited the fuse—Lobov immediately phoned Conor McGregor, who then stormed the Barclays Center with his entourage, launching a dolly through a bus window carrying “The Eagle.” At the time, many fans and pundits pinned blame squarely on McGregor and Lobov for the ugly scene.
But in a recent chat with Ariel Helwani, Lobov reshaped the narrative. Reflecting on that initial confrontation, he claimed that Nurmagomedov approached him, asking why he had been talking badly. Lobov recalled responding: “If somebody called your friend the names that you’ve been calling Conor, you for sure would respond… You leave me no choice by talking like this.” He insisted that the matter had been settled until Khabib escalated. As Lobov framed it, “Conor never went at Khabib,” asserting instead that it was the Dagestani lightweight who “initiated” the feud that changed UFC history.
Of course, “The Eagle” has always denied striking Lobov. Yet the viral video that surfaced at the time—showing Khabib and his crew surrounding the Russian-Irish fighter after being called “chicken”—remains etched in fan memory. That nickname had long haunted Nurmagomedov due to multiple fight withdrawals, at least five during his UFC run, blemishes that critics argue tarnish his otherwise spotless 29‑0 record. With Lobov now reopening the debate, the rivalry between Ireland and Dagestan once again simmers—proof that some feuds never truly end, even long after the cage door closes.
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