‘Treatment’ offer: Khabib Nurmagomedov baits Conor McGregor

A new chapter has opened in one of the UFC’s fiercest rivalries. Conor McGregor has been stoking talk of a 2026 return ever since US President Donald Trump floated the idea of hosting a UFC card on the White House lawn. With speculation swirling, the Irish superstar has once again begun poking at the man behind the most explosive feud of his career: Khabib Nurmagomedov.

McGregor resurfaced online this week claiming he’d undergone “trauma treatment” in Mexico, a revelation that didn’t slow down his barrage of insults. Nurmagomedov, however, responded by suggesting a different kind of recovery.

The former lightweight king fired back after McGregor took fresh shots at him, including renewed references to the passing of Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap. McGregor also mocked the retired champion over the sale of digital versions of his trademark papakha headgear, prompting Nurmagomedov to label his rival a liar before escalating things further.

Posting on X, Nurmagomedov wrote:

“My count is 56 former drug addicts, at my rehabilitation centers in Dagestan, that I treated. Come to Dagestan [McGregor], they’ll take care of you here. Mexico didn’t help you, as far as I can see.”

Meanwhile, McGregor remains sidelined by an anti-doping suspension stemming from three whereabouts violations in 2024, the first occurring just a day before his canceled UFC 303 showdown with Michael Chandler. The 18-month penalty, retroactive to his third violation, clears him to fight again on March 20, 2026, perfectly timed for the potential White House showcase.

The long delay in announcing the violations stirred debate throughout the MMA world, and Nurmagomedov added fuel to the fire by re-posting news of McGregor’s suspension on Instagram, letting the headlines speak for themselves.

As McGregor drums up comeback chatter and Khabib fires back from afar, the UFC’s most volatile rivalry is roaring back to life, even with both men outside the cage.