"Leave me alone" - Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals if he would come out of retirement for a grappling superfight
Khabib Nurmagomedov has shot down the possibility of coming out of retirement for a grappling match. 'The Eagle' firmly stated "Leave me alone" in response to the query.
During a recent media scrum, Khabib Nurmagomedov answered multiple questions from the Russian media. One was regarding the recent grappling superfight between Yusuf Raisov and Murad Machaev, which took place at Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC) 40. The bout ended in a draw.
One journalist noted that Dagestan’s Machaev could be regarded as a fighter from Khabib’s father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s school of teachings. The reporter queried whether or not that would make 'The Eagle' open to grappling Yusuf Raisov himself.
Khabib Nurmagomedov responded by stating:
“About the competitions, I finished a long time ago. Leave me alone. We have good guys in the gym that can compete.”
Furthermore, Khabib Nurmagomedov indicated that he’ll be putting together exciting fights featuring other fighters.
“We’ll see. We are going to make some interesting bouts. Kamal and Sergey Zhatkin didn’t like it grappling somewhy. I don’t know why. I think they add some colors. It depends on region where you make grappling bouts. I think many people in Almetevsk don’t understand grappling. It’s my opinion. They came to watch the MMA. But in Moscow and Dagestan, I think they will understand grappling more. People know the rules. You must choose location where to hold the event.”
Catch Khabib's interview on the FIGHTING FLASHBACK YouTube channel below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA in 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s last fight was a second-round submission win against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 last October. Following the victory, Khabib announced his retirement from the sport of MMA.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's father passed away last July. The former UFC lightweight champion's mother subsequently asked him to retire. Khabib noted that his mother didn’t want him to continue his MMA career without his father by his side. Resultantly, Khabib competed just once after his father’s passing.
Presently, Khabib Nurmagomedov enjoys a successful career as a fight promoter and entrepreneur. 'The Eagle' also serves as a part-time coach, helping his friends and teammates train for their fights.