Khabib Nurmagomedov believes fame and fortune have changed Conor McGregor.
The UFC lightweight champion choked out the Irishman last October to settle their long-running and bitter feud.
The Russian has since become a household name across the world and defends his title again in Abu Dhabi on Saturday against Dustin Poirier at UFC 242.
Meanwhile, McGregor has been embroiled in controversy with a video emerging recently of him allegedly assaulting a 50-year-old man in a Dublin pub.
And Nurmagomedov is confident he can avoid the same pitfalls because he retains his hunger.
"It's been crazy, what do I need now?" he said in an interview with BT Sport.
"I won the belt, I defended my belt; I am famous, and I have money.
"A lot of people ask my why I'm here, but they don't understand what's inside me, this is about fire.
"All my life I have competed with someone and I want to keep doing that.
"I have a big, big fire inside and I want to be the best fighter in the world, not the best fighter from my country, but the best of seven billion people.
"Everywhere I go a lot of people come and take pictures and talk, it's a bit of pressure. Most of the time I don't like it, I don't train to be really famous, I train for fights with the best fighters in the world."
Nurmagomedov and McGregor were involved in an unsavoury riot after their fight but the champion insists he has no regrets.
"I wouldn't change anything," he said. "What I did I did for a reason, I feel great and it was a great experience for me.
"I told people October 6 was the day I was waiting for, it's not my style to talk, of course I told people my plan; I was going to make him tired, change his face, smash his face... and I did everything that I said.
"But everything he said... he did nothing, that's the big difference between us.
"For me I don't like this guy because he punches old people. Sometimes when you are hungry you are different, when you have money you are different and you have to control your emotions.
"He is a big star, how can you punch old people when you are one of the best fighters in the world? The guy could have died, if he had gone down he could have died.
"This shows how he has changed with money, most crazy things are because of money or fame."
