Khabib Nurmagomedov insists he will never return to MMA.
The former UFC lightweight champion shocked the world when he walked away from the sport at the top of his after beating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020.
Nurmagomedov gave up fighting after the death of his fatherHandout – Getty
Nurmagomedov was just 32 years old at the time and mourning the recent death of his father, so fans had hope that he would return to fighting after taking some time to decompress.
Four years later, ‘The Eagle’ is training and appears to be in terrific shape.
Conor McGregor’s nemesis is working out so much that UFC fans have started discussing a potential comeback, which has now been shut down by the 29-0 ex-fighter.
“There is no chance,” Nurmagomedov said when asked if he’ll ever fight again during a conversation with iNews.
The interviewer tried to get Nurmagomedov to give fans hope by naming an exact percentage, but the Russian fight legend shut him down with a definitive response.
He added: “Not even one per cent. Minus.”
Nurmagomedov insists he is fully focused on making new champions.
“I’m helping my brothers to become champions,” he said.
“You guys never gonna miss me because in our team we create champions.
“You guys gonna always have champions, don’t worry about this.”
Khabib has been training hard in 2024@khabib_nurmagomedov – instagram
But he insists he’s focused on coaching the next generation of MMA starsCooper Neill / Bellator
Islam Makhachev was Nuramgomedov’s protégé and now he’s the UFC lightweight champion and the number one pound-for-pound fighter in MMA.
Usman Nurmagomedov holds the Bellator 155lb title and was recently tipped by his famous cousin as the future of the sport.
Another of Khabib’s cousins is on the verge of becoming a champion in the UFC.
Umar Nurmagomedov recently stretched his perfect record to 18-0 by beating long-time bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen.
A fight with 135lb champion Merab Dvalishvili appears to be next for the 28-year-old.
Many other fighters are currently training away in Nurmagomedov’s gym and are likely to become some of MMA’s best fighters in the next few years.
Nurmagomedov may be retired, but he’s still very much involved in the sport.
MMA fans will have to get used to him being coaching from the corner rather than fighting in the Octagon.
