Will Khabib Nurmagomedov ever come back to have one more fight in the UFC? Fans have been asking this question ever since he announced his retirement after beating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Although he has had multiple opportunities to step back into the Octagon, ‘The Eagle’ has resisted the temptation.
The topic of making a return came up once again during the press tour for his promotion, Eagle FC‘s first event in the USA. During an interview with the Nelk Boys, Khabib once again shot down any hopes for one more fight. He stated, regardless of his presence, great fighters will always be around.
Khabib said, “He (Khamzat Chimaev) is welterweight. I never fight in Welterweight. He fight in middleweight too. There is like a lot of challenge. Even right now, Charles Oliveira, he is very good too. There is always gonna be some champions. With me or without me. But who cares? I’m finished now.”
Why did Khabib Nurmagomedov retire?
Khabib Nurmagomedov is considered to be the greatest lightweight in the history of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Some fans and pundits also consider him to be the greatest fighter that ever lived. Hence it came as a surprise when Khabib hung up his gloves at the prime of his career.
In the lead up to his fight against Gaethje, Khabib lost his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov due to COVID-19. It left a big impact on him as Khabib looked up to his father and Abdulmanap was his main trainer. Hence, after losing him Khabib reportedly promised his mother that he will continue his fighting career any further.
Nurmagomedov’s AKA coach Javier Mendez confirmed that in an interview in 2021. He said, “I don’t talk to him about if he’s tempted to get back in, so I don’t know. What I do know is his mothers bond and his mother’s wishes are extremely important to him and if he did ever decide, it would have to be his mother and him talking and his mother would have to give him her blessing.”
Although one can never rule out the desire for a combat sports athlete to fight again, it seems that Khabib will be the exception to that rule. With him doing corner work for his teammates and running his own promotion, Nurmagomedov definitely has a lot on his plate. Hence, a return to competition seems extremely unlikely.