Ever since Khabib Nurmagomedov posted a picture of him with Lorenzo Fertitta fans have been speculating a ton of things. The UFC lightweight champion sent a message to Dana White in that post. And the message read, “Send me the location”.
Considering the fact that Dana White has been trying his best to get Nurmagomedov out of retirement, the fans believe that Khabib is ready to come out of retirement. But, who should he fight next?
The UFC lightweight division is full of big names who are some of the best fighters of this generation. However, Khabib has separated himself from the rest of the lightweights in UFC. He has proven again and again that he is levels above other elite UFC lightweights such as Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor, and Justin Gaethje. But, can the new faces in the rankings such as Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira persuade Khabib to step into the octagon again?
Well, the answer is No. In a recent interview, Khabib’s head coach, Javier Mendez said that the Dagestani champion will only come out of retirement for one fight. And that’s GSP. However, he also said that Khabib might come out of retirement to fight McGregor in the rematch. Coach Mendez claimed:
“Can Michael Chandler get Khabib to come out of retirement? No. Can Oliveria? No. Can Conor McGregor if he has a great performance? Possible. For me, it’s always been GSP. If there is any chance any chance at all, it’s GSP. And the only way it will happen, he would have to get his mother’s permission.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov is mentoring his teammates for their fights
Coach Javier Mendez also talked about the fact that Khabib is still under the USADA testing pool, which suggests that there is a huge possibility for a return. He also said that Khabib is helping his teammates train for their fights and hence staying in shape. But, whether he decides to return to the octagon is a decision that Khabib needs to make. Coach Mendez said:
“The guy is always in shape. And I am not saying he wants to fight. I am just saying the facts. He is not out of the USADA testing pool. Who knows why I haven’t asked him why. SO we’ll just leave it at that.”
After the post of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the fans are certain that The Eagle will defend his title once again. But, whether the opponent will be Conor McGregor or Georges St-Pierre is still a mystery.