One of the greatest moments in mixed martial arts history is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement in October 2020. Khabib startled everyone by declaring his retirement from the sport, even though he was undefeated and seemed invincible at the peak of his career. Fans and fighters were shocked to learn of the decision shortly after he defeated Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
Khabib’s choice was primarily driven by personal reasons. July 2020 marked the passing of his father, who served as his first MMA coach and mentor. Khabib’s mother, who was worried about her son’s well-being, advised him to give up his domination in the sport after learning of the devastating setback. Khabib assured his mother that the battle with Gaethje would be his last despite this sincere pledge.
Khabib Almost Pulled out of the Final Fight
Khabib disclosed that he nearly left the altercation with Gaethje in a recent interview. reason? a sequence on his well-being in his military camp. Khabib had to spend several weeks in the hospital after suffering a serious concussion. Moreover, he had a broken wrist before to the bout. After experiencing these losses, he began to doubt his ability to keep his word to his mother and make one final trip inside the Octagon.
For Khabib, however, the most agonizing part was having to tell his mother that he still intended to fight in spite of his health issues. To the dismay of his trainer Javier Mendez, who believed he would be forced to withdraw him from UFC 254, he was unable to prepare for a full month before to the fight.
“I always thought, ‘This is going to be my last fight, and I want to finish with this sport,’” said Khabib. But how was I going to tell my mother that I was still recovering from all of these wounds? She would never get me.”
Choosing to Engage in Combat
Khabib and his group continued to back down from their initial plan to bail out of the competition as fight day drew near. “Every day we just talked and figured out how to cancel, but then fight day came,” Khabib recalled. Khabib made the decision to respect his mother and his dedication to the fight in spite of his lack of preparation and limited ability to practice over the last two weeks.
Khabib won the second round via submission, which was to be expected given his consistent dominance against Gaethje. However, what transpired was a poignant moment that was unexpected by many.
An Emotional farewell Startled Everyone
Following the victory, Khabib sobbed inside the Octagon due to the simultaneous weight of his mother’s promise and his father’s loss. Warriors were shocked to hear of his heartfelt retirement from fans and teammates because they didn’t think it would be their final encounter with “Eagle” in the cage.
Conor McGregor, Khabib’s fiercest opponent, tweeted his appreciation and sympathies in agreement with his choice. “I know he always had retirement in mind… I don’t believe in that [retirement]!” the voice behind McGregor’s album, McGregor Forever, said, expressing his incredulity.
Despite the doubts and calls for a rematch, Khabib has been true to his word. Early in 2023, he retired from fighting and stopped instructing. The former lightweight champion is mostly concentrating on his business ventures and philanthropic activities at the moment, occasionally indulging his friends but never wavering in his determination to leave the combat industry.
