Vice continues to push UFC and MMA content through their programming, and following a full season of Dark Side of the Cage theyâve now delved deep into the Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov feud on their new show The Grudge.
The Grudge breaks down some of the biggest rivalries in sports from Shaq vs. Kobe to Owens vs. McNabb. But those feel like small potatoes compared to McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov, which resulted in three felony charges, a post-fight riot, and more than a few credible death threats being thrown around over the past seven years.
The latter half of Conor and Khabibâs feud is well documented, but The Grudge breaks down how the two men went from mutual admirers and taking selfies together to hating each other. It all stems from McGregor getting Dana White Privilege and being thrust directly into a lightweight title shot while Nurmagomedov had to win nine times at 155 pounds to finally fight for the belt.
After McGregor beat Eddie Alvarez in November 2016, he declared heâd take some time off to celebrate the birth of his first child. That led to a campaign from Team Khabib to say âThe Notoriousâ was a chicken and ducking him.
âConor says heâs having a baby when all he does is go to clubs and party,â Khabib declared on X (then known as Twitter). âExcuse after excuse.â
McGregorâs teammate and (former) close friend Artem Lobov defended him on Russian television.
âKhabib is as far from Conor as he is from China,â Lobov said. âConor is the real champion. Champion , itâs your mentality. Champion, itâs how your heart beats ⌠Who is chicken? Who is scared?â
That led to the infamous confrontation where Khabib and his teammates surrounded Lobov at the UFC 223 fighter hotel. Khabib was set to fight Al Iaquinta for McGregorâs soon-to-be-vacated title. Artem was on the undercard fighting Alex Caceres.
âYou called me a pâsy, didnât you?â an angry Nurmagomedov asked, his hand resting heavy on Lobovâs neck.
McGregor would round up a private jetâs worth of teammates to fly to New York City, where the infamous âbus incidentâ took place and the rivalry between the two hit a whole new level.
You can watch The Grudge through Vice TVâs website using a free pass. Keep your eyes peeled for the next MMA related episode when they cover Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate.
Whatâs the grudge? This sort of thing typically happens when two guys go to war and itâs unsettled. Wasnât even close. Khabib worked his fucking ass.
I think Khabib hates McGregor for all the reasons most people do.
HOWâS NOAH!?!?!?!?
TV show on VICE
Iâm asking who has a grudge for who? I have a feeling Khabib never thinks about Conor and Conor thinks about Khabib every single day
OHHH 100% !!!
To say that the UFC business and revenue model thrives on rivalries is obvious. The rivalry between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov produced one of the most hyped UFC fights in history. UFC 229 in 2018 stands as MMAâs highest-grossing event ever due to massive pay-per-view sales and gate revenue. No second fight occurred, as McGregor never secured a rematch amid ongoing tension and Khabibâs retirement, but the first clash generated unprecedented financial benchmarks for the promotion.â
UFC 229: The Record-Breaking Cash Cow
UFC 229 took place on October 6, 2018, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where Khabib Nurmagomedov dominated McGregor with takedowns and ground control before securing a fourth-round submission via neck crank at 3:03.
The Betting Numbers
Betting odds opened with Nurmagomedov as a moderate favorite around -155 to -180, while McGregor entered as the +125 to +145 underdog after a long layoff.â
Fans looking to enhance their viewing for UFC 229 were pretty split when placing bets. In order to make sure they get the very best odds, players turn to one of the most trusted comparison sites, WSN.com.
At a time when online betting was on the rise, well before the insane money started coming in such as at UFC 300, comparing sportsbooks across all of the important factors like customer service, odds, payment methods and bonuses, to find the very best on the market was just in its infancy.
Now, bettors can make their lives easier, with sportsbooks that have a dedicated UFC section with their top, carefully selected options. Industry experts can offer a lot, like when youâre looking to learn more about the upcoming bouts. Reading handy articles
from experienced experts like Zack Lane and Reid Spencer is a good idea.
The Gate, PPV and Streaming Numbers
The event shattered records, drawing 20,034 attendees for a gate of $17.18 millionâthe second-highest in UFC history and the largest ever in Las Vegas at the time. PPV buys hit an estimated 2.4 million, including nearly 500,000 via UFCâs streaming service, far surpassing prior MMA highs like UFC 202âs 1.65 million. This success stemmed from the fightersâ polarizing trash-talk feud, boosting casual viewership and economic impact totaling $86.4 million for the area.â
Mega stars at the time like McGregor and Ronda Rousey on the womenâs side â voted top female athlete in an ESPN fan poll â build the hype train. Some fighters just draw well despite their performances.
The Imagined Rematch: Untapped UFC Revenue
No official second fight materialized, with discussions fizzling after UFC 229âs post-fight brawl and Khabibâs 2020 retirement at 29-0. Pre-UFC 229 hype from Dana White and McGregor projected even bigger numbers for a sequelâpotentially 3 million PPV buysâcapitalizing on unresolved animosity and McGregorâs star power.
Odds would likely mirror the first bout with an uptick in Khabibâs favor given his unbeaten streak including the UFC 229 performance. Though McGregorâs mass market appeal would keep lines competitive.â
A rematch could have topped UFC 229âs benchmarks, given McGregorâs history of drawing 1-2 million buys solo and the rivalryâs global buzz on social media and betting platforms, not to mention wildly successful Fight Pass. Instead, it left billions in potential UFC revenue on the table, underscoring how personal beefs drive the sportâs business model. Live gates at T-Mobile Arena might have exceeded $20 million with heightened demand.
UFC 229 Post Fight Brawl: The Catalyst That Almost Led to the Re-Match
The UFC 229 post-fight brawl led to athletic commission penalties, fines, and suspensions for the principals and several team members, plus short-term purse withholding and heightened regulatory scrutiny at future events in Nevada. Law enforcement made no arrests after Conor McGregor declined to press charges, and the melee did not result in criminal cases, but it triggered formal discipline from the Nevada State Athletic Commission.â
Immediate actions
- The NSAC initially withheld Khabib Nurmagomedovâs $2 million fight purse while it reviewed video and prepared complaints stemming from him leaping out of the cage toward Dillon Danis and the ensuing melee; McGregorâs purse was released the same night but he remained under review.â
- Las Vegas police stated no one involved wished to press charges, and three men associated with Nurmagomedov who were briefly detained were not charged after McGregor declined to pursue the matter.â
NSAC penalties
- Khabibâs punishment: The NSAC suspended Nurmagomedov for nine months and fined him $500,000 for his role in the brawl, with additional conditions tied to resolution and potential public-service messaging.â
- McGregorâs punishment: The NSAC suspended McGregor for six months and fined him $50,000 for his part in the altercation inside the cage during the post-fight chaos.â
Team sanctions
- Associates investigated: The commission signaled it would pursue complaints against other individuals involved beyond the two fighters, reflecting a broader disciplinary scope for cornermen and team members who entered the fray.â
- Immigration/visa cautions: Legal analysts noted that non-U.S. fighters risk immigration consequences for criminal findings; while none materialized here, it remained a consideration flagged in the aftermath.â
UFC Business and promotional impact
The UFC kept Nurmagomedov as lightweight champion but acknowledged that a lengthy suspension could have forced contingency plans, including potential stripping if timelines dragged.â
The incident prompted debate over UFC conduct policies and how prior leniency toward out-of-cage incidents may have fueled the escalation, pressuring leadership to reinforce boundaries at future events.
Was a McGregor-Khabib Rematch Considered?
Both sides addressed a potential rematch publicly, but it never progressed to a signed bout. Khabib consistently downplayed or rejected the idea unless McGregor achieved something âspectacularâ in the cage, framing rematch talk as mostly about drama and money, while McGregor repeatedly campaigned for it in interviews.â
Khabibâs stance
In early 2020, Khabib said a rematch was just âdrama and money,â signaling little sporting interest in running it back. Thus, the rematch didnât happen. In 2019â2020, he and his camp suggested McGregor would need to notch notable wins first, indicating ânot nowâ rather than outright never during his active title reign.â
Ali Abdelaziz stated the bout wasnât expected to happen in the Octagon, emphasizing that only something extraordinary from McGregor would change Khabibâs view.â
McGregorâs position
McGregor repeatedly called for a second fight and claimed it would go differently, including during the UFC 257 media cycle in January 2021. Reports and chatter in subsequent years suggested McGregorâs chances werenât helped by public spats with UFC leadership, which insiders claimed damaged momentum for a rematch.â
Bottom line
It was considered, but was never really close. The rematch was discussed in media and by stakeholders, but Khabibâs lack of interest, followed by his retirement, meant no concrete negotiations led to a deal.â
Typically grudges are back and forth battles like Haggler Hearns, Ward Gatti, Leonard Duran, etc
Not one sided violent ass rapings
Does McNugget still own Kabobs house