The undefeated and undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov announced retirement after a dominating win over Justin Gaethje.
But is he really done? He is still the best lightweight on the planet and he can continue to dominate his opponents and achieve greater feet. While some fans believe that this is it for the Eagle. Some believe a dream fight such as the fight against Georges St-Pierre would bring back the Eagle into the octagon and rightfully so.
It was an overwhelming moment for Khabib and his fans. This was the first fight in Khabib’s career after the demise of his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. The training camp ahead of this fight did not go well as he suffered multiple setbacks ahead of the fight. The pressure that is on Khabib every time he steps into the octagon is hard to imagine. And this time it was a lot more than usual.
Khabib explained the reason for his retirement and said:
“To my fans — if I say my fans in Russia, that would be wrong. Let’s say all my Russian-speaking fans. A huge thank you to you all. When I started in 2008, and when I signed with the UFC in 2012, many people didn’t believe. They thought it was impossible. I’m a simple guy from a Dagestani mountain village. When I came here, my brother told me ‘Google says you’re the planet’s most discussed person.’ I couldn’t believe it because I didn’t even think of that. I just wanted to be champion with the guidance of my father. I never thought I’d get such a heavy load dropped on my shoulders. Alhamdullillah (praise be to god). If you have parents, be close to them. That’s all, I only have one parent left, my mom. I want to spend more time with her.”
What’s next for Khabib Nurmagomedov?
Though the fans will be eagerly waiting for the return of Khabib Nurmagomedov this might it for him. There are not a lot of things left for him to achieve after such an illustrious career. But, Khabib did say that he might come back as a coach in the sport. In a recent post of AKA’s coach Javier Mendez, the lightweight champion stated:
“We are gonna come back on the top very soon.” said the lightweight king.
Even though Khabib does not compete inside the octagon he will still be active in the MMA world. He has multiple teammates competing in UFC and other organizations. And he has endorsed MMA global promotion as well. So it seems the fans will be seeing Khabib in a different role in the near future.
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