McGregor heaps rare praise on Makhachev: 'I rate him higher than Khabib'

Returning UFC superstar Conor McGregor (37, Ireland) has offered an unusually generous tribute to Islam Makhachev (34, Russia), a fighter with whom he has long shared a bitter rivalry.

McGregor makes his comeback at UFC 329 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, facing Max Holloway in a welterweight bout — exactly five years after his defeat to Justin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021.

North American combat sports outlets including BJPenn.com have suggested that a win could put McGregor in line for an early welterweight title shot. UFC president Dana White is widely expected to fast-track him regardless of his five-year absence, given his box-office appeal.

Should that happen, McGregor could find himself facing Islam Makhachev, the prized student of his greatest rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev became a two-division UFC champion last year when he claimed the welterweight title at UFC 322.

McGregor and "Team Khabib" have feuded for years, yet Makhachev has said McGregor's return is a positive development for MMA. McGregor, who has rarely had kind words for Makhachev, has recently shown an unusual willingness to acknowledge the champion's achievements.

In a recent interview with North American online outlet Complex, McGregor was asked whether Makhachev belongs among the all-time greats — and delivered a strikingly generous assessment of his rival's protégé.

"What he has achieved across two weight classes is truly remarkable. He is absolutely in the GOAT conversation," McGregor said. "He is still active and still performing at a high level. I rate him higher than my teammate Khabib."

McGregor also expressed concern about retirement talk surrounding Makhachev. "However, he still has so much left to show. He needs to realize that himself and keep fighting," he said.

The remarks appear to reference Makhachev's recent comments that his mother has long urged him to stop fighting — and that he has increasingly been asked why he has not followed Khabib's example of retiring at his mother's request.

Makhachev is set to make his first welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 next month. If both McGregor and Makhachev win, UFC matchmakers would face growing pressure to arrange what could be one of the biggest bouts in the promotion's history.