Even though the lightweight division saw its fair share of drama at UFC 257, American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez doesn’t think it was shaken up enough to pique the interest of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“The Eagle” retired in October after defending his title against Justin Gaethje, bringing his record to 29-0. Soon after, UFC President Dana White publicly campaigned for the lightweight champ to rethink his decision, culminating in a face-to-face meeting in Abu Dhabi this past weekend.
Ahead of UFC 257, White said Nurmagomedov could be coaxed back into competition if one of the stars on the card did “something special,” a notion subsequently shot down by Nurmagomedov.