Conor McGregor recently stirred controversy with a deleted tweet that appeared to mimic one of Mike Tyson’s most infamous post-fight rants. In response to Khabib Nurmagomedov labeling him “evil” for past insults directed at Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, McGregor fired back with a fiery message that seemed to blend trash talk with personal jabs. He referenced Tyson’s iconic “I wanna eat his children” quote and added sharp comments about Khabib’s relationship with his family, warning him to keep quiet or risk getting “trapped somewhere again.”
This exchange was triggered by remarks Khabib made during an appearance on Tyson’s Hotboxin podcast, where he criticized McGregor’s attacks on his late father. The feud between McGregor and Khabib, which began years ago, remains one of the UFC’s most heated rivalries. While the sport has seen many bitter exchanges—like Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier or Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva—McGregor vs. Khabib stood out for its intensity and the deeply personal nature of the insults involved.
A central debate continues in the MMA world: how far is too far when it comes to trash talk? Topics like religion, family, and deceased loved ones are generally seen as out of bounds, yet McGregor has touched on all of them. His most notorious comment came when he tweeted, “Covid is good and Father is evil,” shortly after Abdulmanap’s death from COVID-related complications. That remark was widely condemned as crossing the line.
Despite the backlash, McGregor’s approach received a somewhat surprising nod from Mike Tyson himself. Henry Cejudo, a former co-host of Hotboxin, discussed the incident during the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Israel Adesanya. Cejudo shared that Tyson had said, in front of Khabib, that in his view, “anything and everything goes” in the world of trash talk—suggesting that even the most extreme remarks were fair game.
More than seven years have passed since McGregor and Khabib faced off at UFC 229, but the echoes of that rivalry still linger in MMA circles. Their careers have since gone in different directions. Khabib retired from competition and has shifted his focus to coaching fighters like Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov. Meanwhile, McGregor remains in the spotlight, both for his continued presence in MMA and his recent involvement in politics.
In fact, McGregor has even announced a bid for the Irish presidency, an unexpected move that’s drawn mixed reactions. UFC lightweight contender Renato Moicano, known for his interest in politics and law enforcement, weighed in on McGregor’s political ambitions. After watching McGregor’s interview with Tucker Carlson, Moicano admitted being surprised by the fighter’s boldness. He noted that even a friend’s wife—who didn’t know much about McGregor—was impressed by his speeches and expressed hope that he could improve Ireland’s current situation.
All of this raises ongoing questions about McGregor’s influence both inside and outside the cage. Is his brand of trash talk simply part of the fight game, or has he gone too far? And can he transition from MMA icon to political figure? Fans and commentators alike continue to debate these issues as McGregor remains a prominent and polarizing figure in the world of sports and beyond.