5 reasons Charles Oliveira could bring Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement
Khabib Nurmagomedov stepped away from MMA competition with an incredible legacy. He retired a perfect 29-0, never lost his undisputed lightweight title, and is already in the UFC Hall of Fame. In many people's eyes, he is the greatest lightweight in MMA history.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has officially retired, per Dana White. They met earlier this week in Las Vegas, Nurmagomedov reiterated his stance that he wanted to be done fighting and now White is standing down in his attempts to convince him to return to action any time soon.
Given that is the case, fans might question why he would even entertain the idea of ever stepping foot in the octagon again. However, it has consistently been speculated that he may do so, and there certainly seems a pathway that could see Charles Oliveira lure him back to action.
Should Oliveira defeat Islam Makhahcev in their upcoming lightweight title bout, there are a significant number of people who feel 'The Eagle' could return. Here are five reasons why Charles Oliveira could bring Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement:
#5. Things have become personal
While there is not yet bad blood between these two men, there does seem to be some tension brewing between Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov. The pair have gone back and forth several times over social media, and Oliveira has even suggested their personal issues have made him interested in a fight.
Much of their interactions have come off the back of Khabib Nurmagomedov campaigning for a title shot on behalf of Islam Makhachev. Oliveira has repeatedly stated that he doesn't feel Makhachev has earned it, which one could certainly argue given the lack of big-name wins for the Russian.
Wouldn’t it be something if Charles Oliveira beats Islam Makhachev. Now Khabib comes back. Giving us Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Charles Oliveira 🔥
However, Nurmagomedov has pointed to Makhachev's lengthy winning streak, which is also a valid argument. There is a feeling among the MMA community that Islam is Khabib 2.0, which seems to have helped his case. Should Oliveira defeat Makhachev and continue to poke at Nurmagomedov, perhaps he could lure him out of retirement.