UFC rematches we want to see: Conor McGregor v Khabib Nurmagomedov

Las Vegas, April 25: Conor McGregor's first encounter with Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 was a fight that caused controversy the likes of which UFC had never seen in its history.

The record books, which show a submission win for lightweight champion Khabib, barely scratch the surface of this bad-blooded showdown.

An ugly build-up came to a head after the fight in Las Vegas, with the two warring camps involved in a mass melee.

Still, this is a rivalry that we feel is far from done. In the first of our UFC rematches we would love to see series, we take a look at why McGregor and Khabib should go at it all over again.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIRST FIGHT?

How long do you have? The lead up to this fight was ugly to say the very least and included McGregor's involvement in an attack on a bus carrying Khabib and other fighters for which he would eventually be forced to do community service and partake in an anger management program.

When the two eventually met at UFC 229, Khabib made McGregor submit in the fourth round having controlled the fight but the drama was far from over.

Khabib launched himself over the cage to fight members of McGregor's team, leading to a mass brawl in which the Irishman was also attacked in the cage. It was a pretty bad look for all concerned.

#AndStill | The most dominant LW in the 🌎!

🏆 @TeamKhabib #UFC242 pic.twitter.com/gkbE4O9SEd

— UFC (@ufc) September 7, 2019

WHY DO WE WANT TO SEE THEM GO AGAIN?

There are several reasons – not least because McGregor, love him or hate him, remains such a huge draw, while Khabib is forging the sort of career whereby he has legitimate claims as the greatest of all time.

McGregor has insisted he can beat Khabib in a rematch, so it would be intriguing to see if he can actually come out with a different gameplan or if those words are just misguided confidence.

And, truthfully, where there is this much bad blood between two fighters it is natural that there is a desire to see them go again rather than trade verbal barbs in public.

WHO HAVE THEY FOUGHT SINCE?

McGregor and Khabib were each hit with bans for their involvement in the spat but Khabib defended his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier last September, earning a third-round submission.

It took McGregor a little longer before he was back in the Octagon but was in clinical form against Donald Cerrone in January.

HOMECOMING.@TheNotoriousMMA #UFC246 pic.twitter.com/HVxPgJ8dN5

— UFC (@ufc) January 19, 2020

WILL IT HAPPEN?

McGregor's first-round stoppage of Cerrone was the first of what he hoped would be three fights in 2020 (although the coronavirus pandemic now makes that unlikely) and the Irishman has seemingly rediscovered his love of MMA.

'The Notorious' has made no secret of his desire to at some point have the opportunity to avenge his defeat and usually when he sets his eyes on a fight it happens.

From Khabib's side, there has been no real sign that he is interested in a rematch and surely his main priority is on finally facing Tony Ferguson, with a long-awaited showdown between the two cancelled for a fifth time with UFC events suspended as a result of COVID-19.

But, as ever in the crazy world of combat sports, money talks. So, if the price is right this is a rematch that will undoubtedly take place.

WHO WOULD WIN?

McGregor's place in UFC history is without question but even accounting for that it would need a huge turnaround from their first fight for him to have his hand raised. Right now, Khabib would be the undoubted favourite.