5 Khabib Nurmagomedov fights that never happened
Khabib 'The Eagle' Nurmagomedov is arguably one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time. The former UFC lightweight champion retired with an undefeated 29-0 record and was dominant during his UFC tenure.
Nurmagomedov would take his opponents down at will and while on the ground, would speak to them as he punched them. He would then repeat that either for the full duration of the fight or submit them. Khabib was winning his fights so decisively that he looked unbeatable. Even against opponents with knockout power like Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje, he took their big shots and still won.
Nurmagomedov will absolutely be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame one day for his fighting career and contributions to MMA. 'The Eagle' has transitioned to a coaching role since retiring and looks to be thriving at that as well. Although Khabib had a legendary career, there were still big fights left on the table. This list will look at 5 Khabib Nurmagomedov fights that never happened.
#5. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor 2
Kicking off this list of Khabib Nurmagomedov fights that never happened is a rematch with former UFC two-division Conor McGregor. At UFC 229, Khabib submitted McGregor with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. However, what took place following the bout overshadowed Nurmagomedov's incredible performance.
Nurmagomedov immediately jumped over the cage and went after McGregor’s teammates, which resulted in a brawl ensuing between both corners. Based on what transpired at UFC 229, a rematch between Khabib and McGregor would’ve been the biggest in UFC history. Both men clearly weren’t ready to let bygones be bygones and continued the trash talk on social media.
Dana White told Khabib to imagine the potential pay-per-view sales of a rematch with Conor McGregor, comparing it to #UFC257 (via @ufc) https://t.co/4DocBT7A9z
UFC President Dana White put in a strong effort to persuade Khabib to accept the rematch, but ‘The Eagle’ wasn’t interested. Back in January, White said that Khabib would entertain another bout if there was an impressive performance at UFC 257. McGregor fought Dustin Poirier in the main event, but came up short as he was defeated by second-round TKO. As a result, Khabib closed that chapter of his career for good.
🗓 10/6/2018: 3 years ago tonight...
Khabib (-170) beats Conor McGregor by submission and proceeds to head into the crowd to fight some more 😅
https://t.co/kvMJD9eJwZ
It would’ve been interesting to see where Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor 2 would’ve taken place. White has teased the idea of AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas as a possible destination for super fights in the past. The 100,000+ seat stadium would’ve been the perfect venue for that rivalry.