Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor is one of the biggest rivalries ever in the UFC. Their bad blood saga materialized into a clash inside the octagon in 2018 at UFC 229. The fight proved to be a huge success for the UFC and went on to become the highest-earning PPVs bout in the history of the UFC. The profits didn’t just benefit UFC but ‘The Eagle’ and the Irishman too made huge bucks and profited through the rivalry. ‘The Notorious’ who is famous for his trash talks earned a base salary of around $3 million along with bonuses and PPVs which altogether sums up to a whopping $50 million. The Dagestani fighter on the other hand after defeating McGregor took home a jaw-dropping purse of over $6.6 million including the bonuses and PPV amounts.
Putting an interesting twist to the story, the Dagestani fighter during a recent interview with the UFC revealed how he projected his multi-million revenue six years before it happened. He hinted at his fight against McGregor to which the current UFC commentator Daniel Cormier also agreed.
During the interview, ‘The Eagle’ while speaking with Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier opened up about his journey. He spoke about his initial training days starting in AKA Gym back in 2012. Khabib further revealed how in 2012 he had a conversation with Cormier about his future and how he predicted his financial fortune in the UFC.
“I told you that time I’m gonna be Champion. I’m gonna have 10 and 0 UFC Undefeated 27 and all, you know how like I don’t want to say numbers but I told you for how much I’m going to fight impossible ….nobody fight in our sport for this kind of money it was 2012.” (5:15 to 5:37)
The former MMA fighter Daniel Cormier agreed to Khabib’s statements about his prediction and said,
“He actually did”
‘The Eagle’ didn’t reveal the exact figure but he did hint at the McGregor fight which took place in October 2018. The fight which took place six years after his prediction did boost his fortune. But soon after his fight with the Irishman, Khabib only fought twice. He submitted Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. After his match against Gaethje, he called off his fighting career, surprising fans worldwide including his colleagues and friends.
Retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov was an inside job
The Dagestani fighter’s retirement news came as a total surprise and shock for people around the globe. During the interview, he revealed how no one was aware of his decision to retire, not even his close friends.
He further went on to share how his father’s demise was one of the ruling factors for his retirement and that he only discussed it with his mother. While at the peak of his career, he decided to retire and that shocked everyone.
“My father passed away it was 3rd July, and, I think it was like after three weeks after, I talk with my mom and I decide. We decide and from that time only me and my mom know” (From 13:24 to 13:42 in the video embedded above)
‘The Eagle’ shared a very close relationship with his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov who was also his coach and mentor. His presence around the octagon was one of the most important factors that kept the Dagestani fighter going. But post his demise due to COVID-19 complications it left a huge void, and he decided to never return to fight.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was the longest reigning lightweight champion, continued to coach and offer mentorship in MMA. But now with time he has taken a step back from all kinds of MMA roles and is only dedicated to spending time with his family.
