Who was expecting to wake up and witness this spat?
Tyson Fury has hit back at Conor McGregor after the Irishman branded him a “Versace tw*t”.
McGregor went on a bizarre, expletive-laden Twitter rant at 4 am, and took aim at The Gypsy King.
Fury had previously tweeted support for McGregor’s long-time UFC rival, Khabib Nurmagomedov, on February 1st.
This man did it right. Got in & won 🥇 & got out on top.
Big respect @TeamKhabib pic.twitter.com/8OlK20lpoM
— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) February 1, 2022
Conor McGregor and Tyson Fury.
Khabib had appeared at Old Trafford, holding aloft Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic number seven shirt complete with his own name.
Fury, an avid Manchester United fan, expressed his admiration for the Dagestani.
“This man did it right. Got in & won ? & got out on top. Big respect @TeamKhabib.”
Khabib retired from MMA in October 2020 with a perfect 29-0 record, making him one of the all-time greats. He bowed out with a win over Justin Gaethje, but his rivalry with McGregor will go down in history.
The two were among the UFC’s biggest stars but only met once, with Khabib getting the better of McGregor via submission in October 2018.
This loss – and Fury’s support for Khabib – clearly hit a nerve with the Irishman.
McGregor’s tweet references an incident that occurred in the aftermath of Billy Joe Saunders’ loss to Canelo Alvarez in May 2021.
Saunders’ father Tom attempted to jump the barrier to get to his son in the ring, who had suffered a gruesome eye injury.
He was instead violently pushed to the ground by heavy-handed security which sparked a brawl. Fury, a friend of Billy Joe’s, was with the group but did not get involved in the physical altercation. He instead attempted to talk down the security staff.
McGregor claimed Fury “bottled it” in a tweet that uncharacteristically has not yet been deleted.
Fury responded earlier this morning quite emphatically.
come back when u win a fight mush,
& the difference in me & you is i don’t get myself in trouble & people actually like me, your just a bully who hit old man, 😎 & yes Big up the hulk Joe, #morecambebay. in the house.👍— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) February 13, 2022
This is the first time there has ever been apparent bad blood between the two, with Fury speaking positively about ‘The Notorious’ in the past.
McGregor has not fought since suffering a broken ankle against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. It is unclear when he will return to the octagon, though he has been hitting the gym out in the Bahamas.
Fury’s path is a little clearer. He will defend his heavyweight title against mandatory challenger Dillian Whyte in the UK on April 23rd, with the winner of the Anthony Joshua-Oleksandr Usyk rematch awaiting the winner.
His summation of Khabib’s career does call into question the prospect of ever seeing The Gypsy King go up against Joshua, however.
Spoke to @Tyson_Fury yesterday
He said he had a few pints before the first Wilder fight and has been advising Tommy to do the same 🍻pic.twitter.com/UbIGY7s0Nk
— Alex Roberts (@alexj_roberts) November 25, 2021
The fight would undoubtedly be the biggest bout in British boxing history, but in praising Khabib for winning gold and then “getting out on top”, The Gypsy King could follow suit.
If Fury defeats Dillian Whyte and Anthony Joshua loses to Oleksandr Usyk for a second time, Fury could unify all the heavyweight belts with victory against Usyk.
The Gypsy King could well sail out into the sunset as an undefeated heavyweight great – without ever needing to tick AJ off the list.
What transpires in that regard – and between Fury and McGregor – remains to be seen.
