It’s no secret that Dana White made several unsuccessful attempts to persuade Khabib Nurmagomedov to rejoin the UFC.
The UFC president has now admitted that he was powerless even to persuade the former lightweight champion to participate in a grappling contest.
During an interview, Jim Rome asked White for an update on the recently minted UFC Hall of Famer. According to reports, the promoter tried to contact Khabib to inquire about his interest in returning to the ring but was unsuccessful:
“It’s funny that you asked or it’s weird that you asked me that question, actually,” White told Rome. “I just reached out to him recently to see if he’s interested in something and he was like, ‘I’m retired, brother. I’m done.’ I don’t think Khabib ever comes back.”
White made it clear that the Russian was only being offered the chance to participate in a grappling match. After his most recent effort, White declared that he is confident that “The Eagle” won’t ever return to combat sports:
“It was something different, I was trying to get him to do a grappling match. He’s like, ‘I’m done. I’m retired.’ … I think that when his father passed away, that was a wrap for him and he’s just focused on training other guys and helping them become world champions.”
See Dana White’s most recent remarks on Khabib Nurmagomedov:
Why Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t the UFC GOAT, according to Dana White
Despite Khabib Nurmagomedov’s illustrious history, Dana White does not consider him the greatest UFC fighter ever.
In a recent video project, White worked with GQ Sports to answer questions submitted by fans from across the internet. A viewer questioned White during the discussion whether Nurmagomedov should be regarded as the Greatest of All Time (greatest of all time).
The UFC president acknowledged that “The Eagle” is skilled enough to make that assertion. He countered that the Russian retired too soon to be regarded as the greatest of all time. Jon Jones is the GOAT, he said, especially if he triumphs in his much anticipated heavyweight debut:
“It’s so hard,” White said. “Obviously, he is talented enough. You know, who knows what he could accomplish, but he retired too early. I mean Jon Jones is probably gonna fight at heavyweight this year. You know, whatever you think about Jon, it’s hard not to call him a GOAT.”
See Dana White’s responses below:
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