"Let the man retire" - Kevin Lee wants the UFC to leave Khabib Nurmagomedov alone
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Kevin Lee was asked if he thought that Khabib Nurmagomedov would be back in the UFC. Here is what he had to say:
"I think they should just let the man retire. Let him retire, let him enjoy himself a little bit, let him take his mind off the game and let the game miss him a little bit. Then, when he does come back it will make for an even bigger fight and it is one that he is looking forward to as a final retirement fight. I think for sure he will be back, but go ahead and let the man have some time."
Lee also said that he feels that it adds a lot to the game and has made it more exciting and fun with Khabib being gone. He thinks that if Khabib comes back after some time off, it will sell more pay-per-views.
Lee shared that he thinks there are enough contenders, so the division should move on and talk about Khabib later.
Lee was also asked about the new tattoo at the back of his head. He had spent 48 hours of tattoo time and did not recommend anyone else trying it. Take a look.
What next for Khabib?
Dana White has shown that he is not going to give up on Khabib. He is still trying to convince the retired UFC champion to come out of retirement and continue his championship reign.
Khabib Nurmagomedov lost his father and coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov in 2020 to COVID-19. Following a third successful title defense against Justin Gaethje in October 2020, Khabib announced retirement from professional MMA with a perfect 29-0 professional record.
Khabib told Dana White that he would consider coming out of retirement if UFC 257 co-main and main event fighters show him "something spectacular" on fight night.
There was also massive speculation that Khabib will come back for a bout against George St-Pierre. However, his manager, Ali Abdelaziz has claimed that this was just a rumor.
Khabib also went on to express his feelings about the current names in the UFC lightweight division.
"Give me any UFC name. Well, Charles Oliveira, no doubt - he is good but does not excite me. Michael Chandler - came to the UFC, won... ok, good. But we have seen him being finished so many times. It does not excite me. Rafael dos Anjos, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor - they are all former champions, and I have bet them all. Nothing excites me."
Watch the full interview with Magomed Ismailov here.