Khabib Nurmagomedov is arguably one of the greatest fighters to ever grace the UFC octagon. He not only has an unblemished record, but he has also defeated several elites, like Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje, and others. Unfortunately, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement at the top of his career after successfully defending his championship for the final time in 2020. His supporters, on the other hand, wanted to see more of the Russian great.
Surprisingly, Nurmagomedov’s coach recently stated that the ex-UFC champion was on the verge of returning to the cage. Unfortunately, Nurmagomedov’s desire prevented it from happening.
Khabib Nurmagomedov almost returned after Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier
According to AKA gym head coach Javier Mendez, although Nurmagomedov was adamant about not returning to professional fighting, he previously considered a comeback.
Despite his retirement, ‘The Eagle’ remained in the USADA testing pool, according to Calfkicker, since the UFC hoped he would return. Nurmagomedov was tested several times even after leaving MMA. Javier Mendez said:
“After Khabib retired, they [USADA] were still testing them. Dana White didn’t remove Khabib from the testing pool after he retired because he still hoped Khabib will fight again.”
Mendez went on to say that Nurmagomedov underwent testing for eight months. He also revealed that Dana White wanted Dagestani back in the UFC.
The AKA’s head coach additionally disclosed that Nurmagomedov wanted to return for an exciting fight and considered fighting at UFC 257. However, nothing appeared to pique his interest. As a result, he changed his mind. Javier Mendez said:
“He said, ‘If someone showed me something spectacular, then maybe I’ll come back.’ It was Conor vs Poirier that night, but it did not get Khabib excited.”
Why will Nurmagomedov not return to fighting?
Khabib Nurmagomedov has spent his entire life training in the mountains of Dagestan. Interestingly, all of his hard work and commitment paid off, as ‘The Eagle’ dominated the lightweight division of UFC for years.
Nurmagomedov does, however, credit his whole success to his father/coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Sadly, Abdulmanap died before Khabib’s final battle in 2020, which he won via submission. This left a void in his life.
As a result, ‘The Eagle’ vowed to his mother that he would not fight without his father. To now, the Russian star has kept his promise, and despite multiple offers in the millions of dollars, Nurmagomedov has not returned to fighting.
What are your thoughts about Nurmagomedov not returning to fighting? What do you guys think about Mendez’s words?
