“He’s not a real fighter” – Nate Diaz Slams Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Early Retirement

Afnan Chougle | 06/08/2023
"He's not a real fighter" - Nate Diaz Slams Khabib Nurmagomedov's Early Retirement

Is Khabib Nurmagomedov the ‘Greatest of All Time’? His 29-0 record suggests yes. However, many dispute Khabib’s claim to the title owing to his early retirement. Ex-UFC superstar Nate Diaz is the latest to join the list.

Public sentiment hails Khabib Nurmagomedov as arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all time but, during a recent appearance on the Full Send podcast, Diaz sharply criticized the Dagestani for retiring too soon and not fighting ranked opponents at the start of his career.

 

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“F*ck Khabib. Khabib is the worst. Just look at him, he ran off, he’s a jock. It’s not my style of fighting. I don’t like it…You fought three ranked opponents, then fu*king beat two fu*king guys as a champion. If that’s how you fight. But the style in general, he’s not a real fighter.”

Another reason for Diaz’s dismisal of Khabib’s legacy could be their contrasting fighting styles.
‘The Stockton Slugger’ is primarily a striker, with the temperament of a pitbull. Khabib, on the other hand, comes from a world of relentless pressure wrestling, which is not as visually attractive. Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier too caught a stray from Diaz for the exact same reasons.

Diaz has competed in a variety of weight classes throughout his career. He feels that challenging oneself at a higher level adds to an MMA athlete’s legacy, which is why Nurmagomedov’s early retirement irks him.

Diaz set to make his pro-boxing debut

Meanwhile, Diaz, who enjoys challenges, is set to make his debut in another genre of combat sport this weekend. After years of MMA brilliance, it will be thrilling to watch Diaz fight inside a squared ring.

Diaz is set to make his pro-boxing debut against social media star turned-boxer Jake Paul, who has a pro-boxing record of 6-1 so far.

The fight is set to take place this weekend on August 5 in Dallas, Texas. Diaz is a heavy underdog going into the fight. However, it is worth noting that the fight is scheduled for 10 rounds which can favor him, given his cardio.

That said, it will be interesting to see if Diaz can upset the odds and potentially hand Jake Paul his second consecutive defeat.

Post Edited By: Jatin Hasija
Jake Paul Khabib Nurmagomedov Nate Diaz

About the author

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Afnan Chougle

Afnan Chougle is a UFC author and content manager at The SportsRush. Afnan has written over 900 articles about combat sports before joining The SportsRush. He has now worked in the industry for over two years. He uses his expertise and enthusiasm to advance his professional career and offers insightful commentary on anything related to combat sports. Since UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov fan Afnan has faithfully followed MMA. Besides "The Eagle," Muhammad Ali is his favorite athlete. Apart from his professional exploits as a UFC journalist, Afnan enjoys honing his skills as an amateur actor/boxer and loves going on occasional treks.

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