Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA completely. The former lightweight champion quit coaching for his teammate Islam Makhachev after two years.
Khabib Nurmagomedov roamed the octagon for years and managed to install himself as one of the greatest fighters in MMA. After boasting an unbeaten record of 29-0, he was inducted into the UFC Hall Of Fame. He is a fighter that had a unique fighting style and marks wins against different sounding names in the sport.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Announced His Retirement From Coaching And Puts An End To His MMA Career
However, just as we thought we will see more of him, aged 32, Khabib Nurmagomedov decided to retire from the sport. He performed a submission move against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 and announced his shocking retirement.
Dana White is one of the people around Khabib Nurmagomedov that desperately tries to pursue him to reinstate his fighting career. However, the Dagestani fighter is a tough nut to crack. He has a plan and follows it without making exceptions. While people judge his early retirement, Khaib promised his father that he will complete his legacy, and he has every intention to do so. He was the lightweight champion, and he promised to make his prodigy Islam Makhachev a champion.
For two years after the UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov has been a coach for his pal, Islam Makhachev. Nevertheless, he also proves to be a very successful one. After only 2 years of coaching, MMA fans value him as one of the best coaches in the sport. He helped Islam Makhachev raise from the pile of UFC fighters and become a lightweight champion.
“Take care brothers. The year certainly turned out to be a very busy and successful.” – Khabib Nurmagomedov posted on Instagram in the caption of a picture of his team. “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.”
On Saturday, Khabib Nurmagomedov cleared the air once again and appeared on Russian media confirming his retirement.
“Khabib is leaving the MMA industry. It’s about coaching and everything else related to MMA. The reason is Khabib’s desire to devote more time to his family.” – one of the outlets wrote.
Islam Makhachev, on the other side, is preparing for his first title defense. He is the current lightweight champion and will fight Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. Furthermore, this will be his first significant fight without the ‘Eagle’ by his side.
However, there is no additional information on how the title defense will go on. Khabib Nurmagomedov did not make it clear if he will be present at the fight.
While people are uncertain of Islam Makhachev’s abilities without Khabib Nurmagomedov’s guidance, he opens up as the match’s betting favorite.
