Khabib Nurmagomedov congratulates Belal Muhammad following his unanimous decision win over Vicente Luque
![Khabib Nurmagomedov (left), Belal Muhammad (right) [Image credit: @bullyb170 on Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/04/bc864-16502193778548-1920.jpg?w=500)
After his impressive decision victory over Vicente Luque on April 16, Belal Muhammad was congratulated by Khabib Nurmagomedov, a man widely regarded as the greatest lightweight of all time.
'The Eagle' has been away from the octagon following his shocking post-fight retirement almost two years ago. Overcoming Justin Gaethje to make his third and final defense of the 155lb title, the 33-year-old left the sport with a perfect 29-0 record.
In support of the Chigaco-native, Khabib took to Instagram to praise the welterweight for his performance against a challenging opponent.
The Russian has always been a supportive figure to those around him and having trained with Belal Muhammad in the past, the two share a noticeable respect for one another.
After he successfully evened the score with Vicente Luque while putting on a grappling clinic, the Roufusport representative set his sights on Colby Covington in a matchup that could see the winner earn a shot at Kamaru Usman's strap.
Gilbert Burns seems like a more realistic option for Muhammad's return to the cage as UFC president Dana White has openly stated his preference to pit Khamzat Chimaev against 'Chaos' next.
With one more win under his belt, 'Remember the Name' could live up to his early potential and find himself competing in his first ever UFC title fight.
Where is Khabib Nurmagomedov and will he compete in the UFC again?
Despite rumors of a return, Khabib Nurmagomedov is seemingly content with life away from the octagon and looks fully focused on his coaching and management roles.
Since hanging up the gloves, the Dagestani has been an influential part of many fighters' growth and development in mixed martial arts. Although he didn't come away with the award, many believed the former UFC lightweight champion should have been considered for 2021 coach of the year.
His expertise has helped a handful of athletes in multiple promotions, but coaching is not all Nurmagomedov has been doing. He previously acquired Eagle Fighting Championship and has been running the MMA company successfully over the years.
Having stepped foot on to American soil with Eagle FC events, the judo black belt has had his hands full. He looks highly unlikely to make a return to competing anytime soon, though his long-term training partner Islam Makhachev seems to be carrying the torch in his absence.