"I can understand him not wanting to take that risk" - Dan Hooker on why Khabib Nurmagomedov turned down a Georges St-Pierre super fight
Khabib Nurmagomedov recently turned down a super fight against former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre. While it might be a disappointing realization for fight fans, UFC lightweight Dan Hooker can empathize with Khabib's decision.
In a recent interview with James Lynch, Dan Hooker explained why he understands Khabib Nurmagomedov's choice to stay retired.
Hooker lauded Khabib for retiring with a perfect record and also predicted that it would remain an exclusive record in MMA history.
According to 'The Hangman' it was perfectly justified for Khabib not to take the risk of foiling an achievement like that. Comparing it to his own MMA record, which is far from perfect, Hooker told James Lynch:
"Ah, that's fair enough man. That's fair enough. I like what he has done, to go undefeated and to build that kind of record. That's something that no one else has and that's probably something that no one else will ever do again. So, it's like how many more times do you wanna play Russian roulette. It's easy for me because I've got like heaps of losses. So it's easy for me to jump back on because, you know, the highs and lows, yeah. But to be like the only guy with a perfect record in MMA, to be like a multiple world champ, that's an incredible achievement. It'll never be copied again so I can definitely understand him not wanting to take that risk."
Khabib Nurmagomedov confirmed he turned down the GSP super fight
Khabib Nurmagomedov recently revealed that St-Pierre expressed a serious interest in a “super” fight against another man present in the GOAT debate.
However, the offer is no longer lucrative for Khabib, who seems to be really enjoying his retirement.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has made no secret of the fact that he is done fighting inside the cage and believes GSP should be feeling the same. Surprised by GSP's interest in the fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie:
“He (manager Ali Abdelaziz) sent me a message and said, ‘Hey, Georges St-Pierre wants to fight with you. I said, ‘What can I do?’ I don’t know. I’m finished, you know? I think Georges is finished, too, you know? Let this guy be a legend. He’s 40 years old and I don’t understand why he has to fight. I think he has money, too. I’m finished. I’m really finished."