For many fight fans, the thought of seeing the day when Khabib Nurmagomedov walks away from MMA was still far away, however, after retiring from active competition in 2020, he is now set to leave the sport entirely.
According to reports from FullCombat and REDFURYMMA, Khabib will be leaving MMA for good. As per the source, ‘The Eagle’ will no longer be coaching or a promoter for Eagle FC. Initially, the speculations arose after an unnamed member of Khabib’s team disclosed the information.
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Interestingly, Khabib’s latest Instagram post reads, “Take care of yourself, brothers. I hope my decision is only for the best, a big hug to you all. Thank you, you were a big reason for my success in sports.” As such, the cryptic post adds even more fuel to the fire and seemingly confirms the rumors.
Thus, the exemplary Dagestani fighter and coach gives his final thanks to his team. Moreover, he also wishes that his decision would ultimately benefit everyone involved and he is grateful for the role that they played in his success. As such, all signs point to Khabib closing the chapter of MMA in his life.
Notably, there has been no official announcement as of yet that Khabib is truly leaving. Hence, we can only conclude so much from his cryptic goodbye message. Further, there is no news of what will be Khabib’s next endeavor, however, the rumors also state that it will not be in politics.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s promise to his mother
Previously, Khabib lost his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov to COVID-19. As such, he made a promise to his mother that he would walk away from competing in MMA. At the time, ‘The Eagle’ said, “You know, not only this promise, I have, I follow, not only this promise to my mother. Like I follow everything about mother because, you can have friends or kids whatever like you can have whatever you want. But you’re never gonna have one more mother. You have only one mother.”
Another undefeated Nurmagomedov already training in Dagestan 🦅
Khabib’s son has been training since he was 3 years old 😳 @TeamKhabib pic.twitter.com/baB0IGN4b4
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) December 11, 2022
However, the Dagestani would take up coaching instead and took to it like a natural. Most notably, Khabib is responsible for Islam Makhachev and Usman Nurmagomedov becoming champions in the UFC and Bellator, respectively. According to Khabib himself, he has also begun training his 5-year-old son in MMA already!
As many will be disappointed to see him leave, it appears that Conor McGregor will finally have to let go of his dreams of getting a rematch with Khabib. Whilst it is unclear, what led the former UFC lightweight champion to take this decision, we understand that it is likely a serious and private matter.
With an extended confirmation expected soon, what do you see ‘The Eagle‘ taking up next? Soccer, cinema, or something else? Leave us your thoughts in the comments below.
