"I think only time will answer this question" - Khabib Nurmagomedov refuses to shut the door on UFC return

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UFC 242 Khabib v Poirier. Photo: Francois Nel/Getty Images.

Khabib Nurmagomedov sank to his knees within moments of submitting Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Khabib announced his retirement from the sport in an out-pour of emotions very unlike the 32-year-old. The Dagestani fighter has earned a reputation as a modern fighting legend, going 29-0 in his professional MMA career.

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"I promised my mother this is going to be my last fight."

"I only want one thing from the UFC, I want to be number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world."@TeamKhabib announces his retirement from MMA. Wow 🙏 #UFC254 pic.twitter.com/RFnCyu2X0W

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) October 24, 2020

UFC fans were taken aback as Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement following the death of his father, coach, and mentor, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Following his retirement, there have been numerous speculations about 'The Eagle's' return to the promotion. UFC President Dana White seems to be reluctant to part with his best athletes and has repeatedly commented on the possibility of Khabib's return. However, Khabib Nurmagomedov himself stated that the idea of a future in the UFC is still hazy. Talking to Esquire Middle East in a recent interview, Khabib Nurmagomedov said:

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"I think only time will answer this question. We will see."

Khabib Nurmagomedov also talked about the fame associated with his career. He added:

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"Life in the public eye is very stressful. I would like to live the ordinary life of an ordinary person like I did 10 years ago. But now I have championship belts, from fights won by me. I understood that fame would come along with this, but I did not realize that it would be so difficult. It’s very hard to live like this and I would like to return to the calmness that was before I became famous."

Khabib Nurmagomedov opens up about his father

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov is regarded as one of the greatest coaches ever. However, Khabib Nurmagomedov would like for him to be remembered differently. According to Khabib, his father develops human beings rather than merely developing athletes. Sharing insights about his father, Khabib said:

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"I would not want people to associate him as a coach, as a person who developed wrestling or something else. My father had a lot of projects and the biggest thing he did was he brought up people, brought up a personality and he always told me: 'The biggest and best investment is investing in people'."

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