A photo of Islam Makhachev from his UFC 302 pre-fight photoshoot was enough to send Conor McGregor into a fit about hygiene.
McGregor, who is not a doctor, believes he identified a staph infection on Makhachev’s left shin, and attacked the UFC lightweight champion and his team for their cleanliness. A dark, circular blemish is visible on Makahchev’s leg in the photo McGregor quote tweeted, which was enough for McGregor to give his diagnosis.
It wasn’t all bashing from McGregor though, as he added a prediction that Makhachev will still win the UFC 302 main event title fight in the opening round against Dustin Poirier.
“Staph again,” McGregor wrote on X. “This inbred however lives with Staph. This team is infested, make no mistake. Scruff balls. Whatever ya’s are into, I suppose. He still subs Dustin in the 1st.”
McGregor added in a second post:
“Yous absolute scruffy f*cks I’m sick of yous. Wash your f*cking self! Wash your clothes! Wash your mats! And do it fucking everyday you scruffy c*nts.”
Staph again. This inbred however lives with Staph. This team is infested, make no mistake. Scruff balls. Whatever ya’s are into, I suppose. He still subs Dustin in the 1st. https://t.co/8ducNYStAk
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 29, 2024
Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) is just days away from a scheduled title defense in the UFC 302 main event against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (ESPN+ pay-per-view). The blemish visible in the current photo was not present in a similar photo during UFC 294 fight week, when Makhachev recorded his second title defense against Alexander Volkanovski.
If McGregor’s speculation is indeed accurate, it will be the second time in a row Poirier competes against an opponent with the infection; Benoit Saint-Denis had staph on his forehead when they competed at UFC 299 in March. Saint-Denis was prescribed antibiotics, which he said affected his performance in the second-round loss to Poirier.
Makhachev’s team has not responded to a request for clarification from MMA Junkie nor responded to McGregor’s claim at the time of writing.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.
