What Next for Khabib Nurmagomedov?
2 min read
“There’s no way I’m going to be back without my father,” Khabib said after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC254. “I spoke to my mother. She don’t know how I fight without father, but I promised it’s going to be my last fight, and if I give my word, I have to follow it”.
After retiring in the immediate aftermath of the fight with Justin Gaethje, Khabib Nurmagomedov, arguably the best MMA fighter so far, hinted in a video that he wants to follow the steps of his father as MMA coach. His father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, was a legend on his own and considered one of the best MMA coaches in the world.
“We have a lot of young generation guys to coach,” Khabib said in the video below on a bus beside his coach Javier Mendez. “We are going to come back on the top very soon. I’m going to help you. I always help you – how many years I help you coach?!”. So, it seems that Khabib is considering to remain in the MMA world and train a future generation of fighters.
The fight between Khabib and Gaethje won’t only be remembered as the last fight of Khabib but also as one of the most touching moments in the UFC history. In the video above, the moment when Gaethje consoles Khabib after the fight.
In addition, the Dagestani MMA legend apparently fought in the UFC254 main event not in perfect conditions. According to Dana White, UFC President, during the post-fight press conference, “Apparently he was in the hospital, he broke his foot three weeks ago. So he has two broken toes and a bone in his foot that’s broken, or something like that. That’s what his corner was telling me. Never told anybody. He is one of the toughest human beings on the planet. He is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Seriously, you have to start putting him up there with GOAT status with whoever else you think is the GOAT”.
