"He probably felt very lonely" - Legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr speaks on Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement
Legendary boxer Roy Jones Jr. has chimed in with his thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement. RJJ asserted that Khabib must’ve felt lonely after his father’s death. Besides, the boxing great added that he completely understands why ‘The Eagle’ chose to retire.
Roy Jones Jr. is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. In a professional boxing career that spanned about three decades – debuting in the year 1989 and retiring in 2018 – Jones Jr. won world titles in four separate weight classes.
Meanwhile, Khabib Nurmagomedov is considered to be one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. Nurmagomedov most notably captured the UFC lightweight title and defended it thrice before retiring from the sport.
During his time as a professional MMA fighter, Khabib Nurmagomedov faced and beat some of the most dangerous fighters in the world – such as Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, etc. – and managed to end his career with a 29-0 undefeated record.
During an interview with RT Sport MMA, Roy Jones Jr. opened up on multiple topics. One of these topics was regarding Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement. Jones Jr. weighed in on The Eagle’s retirement and stated –
“I mean, for him, it’s a whole different game. For him, it was something that him and his father shared. When he lost his father and tried to do it without his father, he probably felt very lonely and very different. So, for him, without his dad, half is gone anyway. So, he can’t get the full thing, why go in there? Because this is; people are not there to worry about taking it easy on him because he’s not feeling so good. They’re out there to hurt him."
Roy Jones Jr. emphasized that fighting is a hurt business and going into a professional combat sports contest half-heartedly could prove to be extremely dangerous. On that note, Jones Jr. indicated that Khabib Nurmagomedov made the right decision by hanging up the gloves rather than continuing his fighting career half-heartedly without his father.
"Fighting’s the hurt sport, and he knows that. So, if he feels like half of him is there, half of him is not; he should never go back in the ring. Because you can go in there half of you and that could get you killed. So, I totally understand and respect what he did; totally understand and respect it.” (*Video courtesy: RT Sport MMA; H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)
Roy Jones Jr. has expressed interest in a boxing match against Anderson Silva
Roy Jones Jr.’s last notable combat sports contest was an exhibition boxing match against Mike Tyson in November 2020. In the ensuing months, Jones Jr. has consistently maintained that he wouldn’t compete again, even in an exhibition boxing match, unless the amount offered to him is incredibly lucrative.
Furthermore, Roy Jones Jr. has time and again reminded fight fans worldwide that he’s still interested in the much-discussed dream boxing matchup between him and MMA legend Anderson Silva. Nevertheless, as of this time, the fight is yet to materialize.
Khabib Nurmagomedov unlikely to compete in any pro combat sports contest again
On the other hand, Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the sport of MMA after his fight against Justin Gaethje in October 2020. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away in July 2020.
Khabib’s mother later asked him to refrain from continuing his fighting career without his father by his side. Khabib obliged, competed in one final fight in October 2020 after his father’s death, and then bid adieu to professional fighting.
What are your views on Roy Jones Jr.’s statements regarding Khabib Nurmagomedov? Sound off in the comments.