"I am going to rip this contract up now" - Zubaira Tukhugov reveals how Khabib Nurmagomedov hardballed UFC into reinstating his "terminated" contract
Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, walking away from the sport in 2020 with an undefeated 29-0 record. 'The Eagle' made his second of three title defenses at UFC 242, defeating Dustin Poirier via third-round submission. Zubaira Tukhugov almost competed on the card, with his bout with Lerone Murphy ending in a split decision draw.
Speaking to Red Corner MMA, 'Warrior' revealed that the UFC Hall of Famer is the reason that he was able to compete on the card, which marked the promotion's first trip to Abu Dhabi in more than five years, stating, in Russian:
"Nobody has ever revealed it. I got suspended. My contract was terminated. Khabib said, 'Zubaira will fight first then I will fight, too'. After the [Conor] McGregor fight, the UFC really needed Khabib so they gave me a new contract. They also promised to put me on the Abu Dhabi card with Khabib and Islam [Makhachev], but Dana White said they had no room for me on that card so they were going to let me fight in Moscow."
Tukhugov continued:
"He tried to make Khabib change his mind, but Khabib was like, 'ok, I am going to rip this contract up now, I will give my spot on the card to Zubaira if you don't have it for him'. It was his first really good pay day. I said, 'please, don't do that'. Then Hunter [Campbell] called me and said that he respected Khabib's decision and decided to remove a few fights to let me on the card. That's how I managed to be a part of the event."
Check out Zubaira Tukhugov's comments on Khabib Nurmagomedov below:
Tukhugov had been suspended for one year for his role in the brawl that took place after the UFC 229 lightweight title bout between Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. His suspension was reduced by 35 days, however, making him eligible to compete at UFC 242. 'Warrior' was released by the promotion following his UFC 284 loss to Elves Brenner in February 2023, leaving with a 5-3-1 record.
Why did Khabib Nurmagomedov retire from mixed martial arts?
Khabib Nurmagomedov shocked mixed martial arts fans when he walked away from the sport in his prime. The then-lightweight champion announced his retirement after defending his title for the third time when he defeated Justin Gaethje via second-round submission, stating:
"Today I want to say this was my last fight. No way I'm going to come here without my father. It was first time after what happened with my father, when UFC called me about Justin, I talk with my mother three days. She doesn't want me to go fight without my father but I promised her it was going to be my last fight."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments on retirement below:
Nurmagomedov's father and long-time trainer, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away in July 2020, just three months before his final bout. He has stayed true to his word by not returning to the octagon and earning induction into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022.