Conor McGregor appears to spit in man’s face over Khabib Nurmagomedov taunt

The Irishman was submitted by Nurmagomedov in a seismic UFC fight in 2018

A video has surfaced in which Conor McGregor appears to spit in the face of a man who taunted him over his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The video, which circulated on social media on Monday (3 February), shows McGregor seemingly walking through a casino when a man shouts: “Let’s go, Khabib! Let’s go, Khabib!”

McGregor, surrounded by security guards, then turns around and approaches the man in question. The Irishman, 36, appears to spit in the man’s face, before saying: “I spit in your face, what do you do? Nothing. I spit in your face.”

The Independent has approached McGregor and his management team for comment.

Hours after the video emerged, the former dual-weight UFC champion shared two Instagram posts, both of which seemingly show him in the same outfit from the clip – and both of which have restricted comments.

The first post shows McGregor with Diplo, apparently on stage during the DJ’s performance at XS Nightclub on Saturday – inside the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas. The second post largely consists of photos of McGregor inside a casino, though he is also pictured with Diplo and inside a club.

McGregor fought Khabib in 2018, suffering a submission loss to the Russian while challenging for the UFC lightweight title. The fight, the biggest in UFC history, followed a bitter build in which McGregor insulted Khabib’s Muslim faith. Immediately after the bout, Khabib jumped out of the Octagon to attack a member of McGregor’s training team.

A video appearing to show Conor McGregor spitting in a man’s face (@SpinninBackfist via X)

McGregor last fought in the UFC in 2021, suffering a broken leg in a second straight loss to Dustin Poirier. He was due to return in June 2024, but his fight with Michael Chandler was cancelled when McGregor sustained a broken toe.

McGregor’s fighting future is unclear, with UFC president Dana White refusing to put a date on the Irishman’s return to the cage. McGregor has also been embroiled in legal battles in recent months.

In November, a civil-court jury in Ireland awarded €250,000 to a woman who said she was “brutally raped and battered” by McGregor in 2018. McGregor denied her accusations.

In January, it was reported that a different woman is suing McGregor after accusing him of sexual assault in 2023. The woman was previously unsuccessful in getting criminal charges filed, and is also suing employees at the basketball arena where she alleges the attack took place during a Miami Heat game. In 2023, McGregor said via his lawyer that the allegations were “false”.