Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA back in the fall of 2020, giving an emotional farewell speech shortly after choking out Justin Gaethje to retain the UFC lightweight title. That win pushed him to a perfect 29-0 record on his career, sealed top spot in the UFC’s men’s pound-for-pound rankings and ensured that ‘The Eagle’ would be remembered as one of the best fighters to ever appear in the Octagon.
Though we were subjected to months of the UFC, and specifically Dana White, telling us Nurmagomedov may return to action, the Dagestani stuck to his guns and assured that he was more interested in other aspects of the fight game.