Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor trade insults on social media to further fuel rematch rumours

Rivals took to Twitter as feud rumbles on nearly 18 months after their showdown at UFC 229

Khabib Nurmagomedov, right, defeated Conor McGregor by submission in their October 2018 UFC bout in Las Vegas. Reuters

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor have reignited their feud on social media.

The pair traded barbs on Twitter on Sunday night, which is sure to only spark yet more calls for a rematch. Nurmagomedov and McGregor faced off in the controversial clash at UFC 229 in October 2018, when a mass brawl followed immediately after the Russian's fourth-round submission victory.

On Sunday, McGregor responded to Nurmagomedov’s “street fight” comments at the weekend towards April 18 opponent Tony Ferguson, posting a photo of the unbeaten lightweight champion on the bus McGregor infamously attacked before their first fight.

The Irishman then took aim at Nurmagomedov teammate Islam Makhachev after he tweeted “This is not a woman's sport” following Saturday night’s epic bout between Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248. McGregor later posted another "Street fight" jibe.

Of course, Nurmagomedov bit back, mocking McGregor's loss to him 17 months ago with a picture captioned "Heeeelp", before posting a video of the incident last year in which McGregor was seen punching a man in public in Dublin. The former two-weight UFC champion later pleaded guilty and was fined €1,000 (Dh4,200).

Whatever unfolds next, the noise surrounding a potential rematch is sure to increase. Nurmagomedov (28-0) defends his lightweight crown against Ferguson, the No 1-ranked challenger, in Brooklyn next month. Should he come through that, McGregor is believed to be next in line for a shot at the belt.