Khabib Nurmagomedov picks one fighter that motivates him for UFC return
Khabib Nurmagomedov has officially confirmed that, while seemingly reluctant to return to the octagon, he remains motivated anytime he hears Georges St-Pierre's name.
'The Eagle' retired from mixed martial arts following his impressive submission win over the heavy-hitting Justin Gaethje. The win over the former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion was the Russian's third and final defense of his 155lb throne. He bowed out of the sport with a perfect 29-0 record.
In a recent interview, Nurmagomedov claimed St-Pierre, a man regarded as the greatest of all time by many MMA fans, is the one name that excites him and makes him consider returning. He commented during the interview:
"There's no fighter that motivates me to return, but when I hear GSP (Georges St-Pierre) name, I want to go for a 10km run... So, you can throw any name, Charles Oliveira too, [it] doesn't motivate me. Michael Chandler been knocked out a bunch of times. I've already run through RDA [Rafael dos Anjos], Justin [Gaethje], Conor [McGregor], and [Dustin] Poirier, but GSP really motivates me."
Despite his motivation, the 33-year-old has urged fans not to expect the pair to clash. He claims the time has passed for any potential matchup between the two greats. He added:
"But, I'll be honest with you. The ship has sailed, he's 40. Let's leave GSP alone. We all love GSP, he's the legend, the right person to represent MMA, let's leave our names aside."
Although he retired less than two years ago, Khabib Nurmagomedov is the most sought after fighter to make his octagon return. Fight fans want to see the undefeated legend take on new threats that the lightweight division poses.
Check out what Khabib Nurmagomedov had to say about facing Georges St-Pierre in the video below:
Why do fans want to see Khabib Nurmagomedov return?
Khabib Nurmagomedov was the most dominant lightweight competitor to fight under the UFC banner in recent memory. So why do fans now want him to make an astounding return to the promotion?
The UFC Hall-of-Famer spent eight years in the company, but some say the elite fighters he faced matched up well with his style. His grappling credentials against strikers often earned him dominant victories.
Some believe the wrestling credentials of Michael Chandler, alongside his advantage on the feet, would have caused Khabib problems. Another threat to his flawless record is the current 155lb king, Charles Oliveira, who could use his high-level jiu-jitsu to challenge the Sambo savant.