It was an action packed weekend of fighting in the UFC, but worldwide headlines were made on Saturday evening after it was revealed that Khabib Nurmagomedov would be retiring from the sport after successfully beating Justin Gaethje.
The Russian was excellent once again on Saturday as he improved his professional record to 29-0 with a submission victory in the second round of the Lightweight title bout. Immediately after the win, Khabib revealed that this was his final fight in the UFC as he wanted to honour the promise that he made to his late father.
UFC News: Khabib’s Historic Legacy
There is no doubting Khabib’s decision to retire from the sport, as he had proven everything that there is to prove. Very few fighters will have half the success that Khabib has enjoyed, and he will retire from the UFC with a perfect record having won on all 29 occasions that he stepping into a fight. Of course, there will be a feeling of what if, with some fans hoping that Khabib would have continued to fight, with potentially huge matches to make against Conor McGregor and Tony Ferguson.
However, it isn’t to be. Dana White revealed after the fight on Saturday that Khabib will be deserving of his place as one of the greatest UFC stars in the history of the company. He also revealed that he believes that Khabib is the pound-for-pound best on the planet following his second-round win over Gaethje this past weekend, and it wouldn’t be wise to argue against that.
UFC News: Khabib’s Standout Moments
His performance on Saturday night will go down as one of his best, as he dismantled the best possible contender for his number one spot in the lightweight division. However, you would be hard-pressed to argue against his victory over Conor McGregor being the standout win in his career.
The event was one of the most brought in UFC history, and also put Khabib well and truly on the map. Khabib was dominant in his display on that occasion in Las Vegas, as he claimed the win in the fourth round. His victory over Dustin Poirier last year was equally as dominant, but in terms of the star power that came with the McGregor fight, it’s hard to look past that night as being the finest of his career.
