Khabib Nurmagomedov shocked the sports world when he announced his retirement following his submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
Despite always having aspirations of retiring with a perfect 30-0 record, ‘The Eagle’ cited the recent death of his father for hanging up his gloves.
While Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA) seemed set on his decision to walk away from mixed martial arts, his manager Ali Abdelaziz and UFC President Dana White thought otherwise.
White recently announced that the promotion would not be holding a fight for the vacant lightweight title because he was confident Khabib Nurmagomedov would decide to return.
Dana White’s confidence appears to have been well placed, as Khabib recently revealed he is still a part of the USADA drug testing pool.
“This is 47 times since 2015, as I have been tested for doping of USADA. Just think about this number.” – Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s post drew the attention of UFC official Jeff Novitzky who commended the undefeated lightweight champion for his efforts and discipline.
Exactly! None of you get enough credit for this part of the UFC game. 47 times woken up, training interrupted, kept up late, victory celebrations delayed…and NEVER know when it’s coming. No one can ever question your career…with this program we all know it’s real.
— Jeff Novitzky (@JeffNovitzkyUFC) November 15, 2020
“Exactly! None of you get enough credit for this part of the UFC game. 47 times woken up, training interrupted, kept up late, victory celebrations delayed…and NEVER know when it’s coming. No one can ever question your career…with this program we all know it’s real.” – Novitzky wrote.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has long been rumored to a potential super-fight with former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre.
It would be a massive fight between two of the sports biggest stars who have nothing but the utmost respect for one another.
Do you think we will get to see Khabib Nurmagomedov fight again? Share your thoughts in the comments section PENN Nation!
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com November 14, 2020