CHICAGO – Timur Khizriev will fight an Irishman Friday at Bellator 297 , but there’s nothing but respect. Though one of the most volatile rivalries in MMA history, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor , was between a Dagestani and Irishman, Khizriev (12-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) thinks the bad feelings are limited to those individuals. “To be honest, you’ve caught me off guard. I hadn’t even thought of such a thing that Dagestan vs. Ireland.