Khabib Nurmagomedov said UFC wants him to fight but he's retired, will meet Putin, and then guide a new wave of Dagestani fighters
- Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the UFC and the sport of MMA on Saturday.
- He said that while the UFC boss Dana White wants him to keep fighting, his mind is made up.
- Nurmagomedov will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, then concentrate on training the next generation of Dagestani fighters.
- He said Islam Makhachev, a UFC lightweight, competes in two weeks, and will fight once again before Ramadan in 2021. Nurmagomedov believes he will be a champion at 155-pounds within a year.
Khabib Nurmagomedov said the UFC boss Dana White wants him to continue to fight but reiterated that he's retired, will meet Vladimir Putin, and then guide the next generation of top tier Dagestani fighters.
Nurmagomedov sent Justin Gaethje to sleep with a triangle choke submission in the second round of Saturday's Fight Island finale at UFC 254 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. After the victory he cried on all fours in the middle of the Octagon, before abruptly announcing he would never fight again following the death of his father and trainer, Abdulmanap.
The Russian, renowned for his dominant sambo style of wrestling, ends his career with a flawless unbeaten record of 29 wins in professional mixed martial arts. That career culminated in a run of three successive submission wins over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and now Gaethje.
This week he returned to his home country where he was met by government officials and the media.
"Dana wants me to continue fighting and generate revenue," Nurmagomedov told reporters, as translated by Kremlin-funded outlet RT Sport MMA.
"I can make money myself. I'm at the peak of my career and can fight for very large purses but I made this decision and I think this is the best time.
"Not everyone can retire at their peak but I know that in a year, two, or five I'd have to face that decision again. I did enough in the sport to be considered the best.
"Today, I was ranked as the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter so the mission was accomplished. What else is there to do? Make money? I'll always be able to do that."
Nurmagomedov said Saturday that he was retiring after promising his mother he would not compete again.
"She knew, but I don't think she expected me to announce it right after the fight," he said. "I did promise her that this would be my last fight so she was aware."
Nurmagomedov will meet Putin once again
The Russia president Putin will personally meet Nurmagomedov after his latest accomplishment in elite MMA, RT reported earlier this week.
It will be the latest meeting between the politician and the fighter. Putin called Nurmagomedov on the phone after he had submitted Conor McGregor and then jumped out of the Octagon to seemingly attack the Irishman's cageside friend Dillon Danis.
"Putin just called me to say he is very proud of me, I win, and he says congratulation," Nurmagomedov said in 2018. Days later he met the president in person when he flew to Ulyanovsk in Russia after his lightweight title fight in Las Vegas.
When asked what he would do in the coming weeks, Nurmagomedov said he'll take time off to relax before exploring what is next for him and MMA in Dagestan.
"Life goes on and our MMA academy is still running. Islam Makhachev has got a fight on November 14th in Las Vegas against a former lightweight champion. It's a major event for our team.
"Like my father said, when I leave, there'll be another champion. There won't be another guy like me, it'll be hard to repeat what I did.
"We are planning for Islam to win his fight and fight again before Ramadan, to become a contender for the belt. Then next year in September or October he'll be here with his belt. He'll stand as a UFC champion."
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