Recently Khabib Nurmagomedov has made a few statements regarding his hugely anticipated return to the Octagon despite calling retirements late last year. The former lightweight champion has revealed that UFC President Dana White still hasn’t given up on convincing him to come out of retirement.
In an audio clip on YouTube, while revealing Dana’s hope in his return, Khabib Nurmagomedov humorously said that:
“I think if he was a fighter, he’d never give up. Might’ve gotten knocked out or choked to sleep but not giving up. He still hasn’t given up.”
Khabib explained that Dana rang up his Manager Ali Abdelaziz and asked him how much he’s willing to pay him to come back for another fight.
“I don’t know if I should say this here but a couple of days ago, Ali Abdelaziz called me and told me that Dana rang him up and asked him ‘Hey, why doesn’t Khabib ask me how much money I would offer him for a comeback?‘”
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It is evident that Khabib Nurmagomedov is not coming back. He promised his mother he won’t fight again. The Eagle once confessed that he misses UFC and the experience he had there. However, he made it clear that he will stick to his decision and stay true to the promise he gave to his mother.
“I’m not interested in that, you know. It’s over. I made my decision but he’s still not giving up. I think not only Dana but the whole UFC office and HQ still think that I’m pricing myself,” Khabib explained.
Why Dana Wants Khabib Nurmagomedov back
White has tried different ways to get Khabib back on board; he had several meetings with the Eagle about his potential return but to no avail. However, it seems like rejections don’t bother the UFC president.
It is to be mentioned that Khabib(29-0-0) after his highly anticipated fight with Justin Gaethje shocked the world by retiring at UFC 254. No doubt with his records and stats, he is arguably the best fighter the promotion has ever seen. So, Dana wanting him back is quite logical.