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McGregor reached the summit of the UFC's 155lb division last November in the main event of UFC 205.

Ireland's first UFC belt holder dethroned then-champion Eddie Alvarez with a second-round TKO victory, a triumph which briefly saw him become the first fighter in the promotion's history to hold two belts simultaneously.

McGregor fought for the lightweight crown in his first outing in the division, a fact which irked many of his fellow fighters.

He did so having never defended the featherweight title he claimed in December 2015, a decision which drastically slowed down the progression of the division.

The same thing has happened in the lightweight division due to his hiatus for the birth of his first child, which is due to arrive in May.

McGregor's absence has resulted in an interim title fight between Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, who will lock horns with one another at UFC 209 on March 4.

Nurmagomedov isn't pleased with McGregor's hiatus and believes his break has slowed down the progression of yet another division.

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“Because he never defends his belts,” Nurmagomedov told FOX Sports' Damon Martin.

“He never [defended] his Cage Warriors belts, never defended his featherweight belt, and now UFC lightweight, I don’t think is different. But he has to defend.

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“We’ll see. I don’t think about this too much. I think about Tony and March 4. This is the biggest fight in my life.”

UFC 209 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on March 4 and is headlined by a welterweight title fight between champion Tyron Woodley and Stephen Thompson.