Stepping away from a sport that has been a part of your life for over a decade is always hard, but doing so while you’re at the top of your game is even harder. Very few fighters in the UFC have had the privilege to quit while on top, but Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of them. In fact, there have been several instances where fighters retire only to return to action after a few years. However, ‘The Eagle’ has maintained that he will never be that person, promising that he is done with fighting for good.
‘The Eagle’ stepped away from the sport following his fight against Justin Gaethje. After a dominant display, Nurmagomedov announced that he would be retiring due to his father’s demise. He stated that his mother did not wish for him to continue fighting without his father and therefore, he had to respect her decision. Naturally, this came as a shock to everyone including the UFC brass.
Now, Four years on from his retirement, head coach Javier Mendez took to Instagram to pen a heartfelt post about ‘The Eagle’. He said,
“I wonder if the @khabib_nurmagomedov misses this feeling? I say he does but once your time is up like my time when I retired. The best is just remember your memories and cherish your accomplishments because time always wins and we must move on to the next challenge in our journey of life On to the next and coach journeys.”
‘The Eagle’ shared his post on his Instagram story with a caption that said,
“It was amazing journey @akajav”
Nurmagomedov and Mendez now work together in a different capacity. The two serve as coaches to fighters from Dagestan and help them achieve their respective goals in the sport.
Khabib Nurmagomedov to increase his involvement in Islam Makhachev’s camp?
The first order of business for Nurmagomedov after retirement was to ensure that he fulfilled his father’s plan. Nurmagomedov’s father wanted Islam Makhachev to become the lightweight champion once his son was done fighting. Once that goal was achieved ‘The Eagle’ stepped back from the sport altogether. Since then, he has stopped serving in corners during fights and attending events.
However, in recent posts put up by Islam Makhachev ‘The Eagle’ was seen presiding over a sparring session. While this does not mean ‘The Eagle’ will corner Makhachev against Poirier. It definitely confirms a more active involvement in the fight camp for Nurmagomedov.
