Coach claims Conor McGregor has no regrets on losing UFC 229 fight to Khabib Nurmagomedov

Conor McGregor's striking coach Owen Roddy doesn't think that the Irish mixed martial arts superstar has any regrets in losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

McGregor and Nurmagomedov clashed at UFC 229 back in 2018, in what was arguably the biggest lightweight title bout in the promotion's history.

At the time, Conor McGregor was at the peak of his combat sports career, having faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a highly-publicized boxing match the previous year. After over a year away from the Octagon, McGregor was coming back to reclaim the UFC lightweight championship.

In Conor McGregor's absence, Nurmagomedov took the reins of control in the lightweight division. He claimed the vacant lightweight title for himself with a decision win over Al Iaquinta. The Conor McGregor fight was Nurmagomedov's first title defense.

While McGregor had his moments in the fight, Nurmagomedov was simply unstoppable with his takedowns, ultimately getting the submission win in the fourth round.

While it was indeed a disappointing result for Conor McGregor, Roddy believes that 'The Notorious' has no regrets as to how the fight played out.

Speaking to Petesy Carroll and Nial McGrath of The Bash MMA, Roddy explained why he believes McGregor has no reason to feel regret:

"It doesn't look like Khabib wants to come back" - Owen Roddy says Conor McGregor doesn't care who he fights as long as he gets his hands on the lightweight world title again. #TheBash w/@PetesyCarroll & @NiallMcGrath4 📻 https://t.co/TOKeWycPZu📺https://t.co/bgQQ6KVhzx pic.twitter.com/hJd9ULzi26

— The Bash MMA (@TheBashMMA) December 3, 2020

"I wouldn’t think so. At the end of the day, what happened in the camp happened in the camp, and the way the whole fight went, it went that way, it is what it is. I don’t think Conor would have any regrets in anything he’s done. At the end of the day, he’s in phenomenal position in his fighting career, in all his businesses, with his family, everything. He’s in a phenomenal position, so, for me personally, I would never regret anything, because if you regret stuff, if you changed anything, you wouldn’t be in the position you’re in today, and I’d imagine he’s the same."

Conor McGregor isn't necessarily chasing a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov

The loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov is the only loss in the UFC that McGregor has not avenged. While a Conor McGregor-Nurmagomedov rematch would likely draw massive numbers in terms of gate and viewership, Owen Roddy believes that this isn't something that McGregor is necessarily chasing:

"If that fight doesn’t happen again, it doesn’t matter, because there’s a lot of people in there front of him that he can through, so, if it does come about again, he’ll be ready and prepared for that one."

For now, Team McGregor's focus is solely on Dustin Poirier, his upcoming opponent at UFC 257 in January.

The McGregor-Poirier rematch will likely have important title implications, especially since Nurmagomedov appears to be firm on his retirement.

Ye, not a scratch. Relaxing before I bounced up and bet his brother and his cousin round. https://t.co/lwlFpof4dD

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 20, 2020