The UFC is in the process of finding a headliner for its marquee event of the year. UFC 300 takes place in April. There is a lot of pressure on Dana White and his team to deliver a main event that will blow the fans away. Several big names such as Khabib Nurmagomedov and Geroge St-Pierre, among others, were rumored to return to action. Unfortunately, ‘The Eagle’ put a rest to these rumors once and for all with his latest social media post.
‘The Eagle’ has been spending a lot of his time in retirement following the sport he loves the most: football. He was recently in Milan, attending the football game between AC Milan and Roma. It was at this event that he ran into football star Zlatan Ibrahimović. Following an exchange of pleasantries, both men posed for a picture. Ibrahimovic posted a picture on his Instagram with Khabib. The caption said,
“UFC 300 @khabib_nurmagomedov”.
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‘The Eagle’ reposted the photo on his Instagram story with a caption that said,
“UFC 300 will be with out me, like UFC 400 )))”
Unfortunately for UFC fans, this puts an end to a few weeks of intense speculation about Nurmagomedov’s return. The likes of Chael Sonnen, among others, spread the word that because of certain developments, ‘The Eagle’ might be returning to action.
This was further picked up by news websites as well as social media accounts, creating a real buzz among fans for Nurmagomedov’s return. However, Nurmagomedov’s recent post confirms that the news regarding his return was all but rumors.
Islam Makhachev to fill in for Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 300?
According to the rumors, ‘The Eagle’ was supposed to face Leon Edwards at UFC 300 for the welterweight belt. Now that it is confirmed that this will not be happening, the UFC’s hunt for a super fight continues.
Nurmagomedov’s protégé is still active in the UFC and eventually wants to move up in weight to claim the welterweight title as well. A champion vs champion title fight will be the most appropriate way to top off UFC 300.
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A fight between Makhachev and Edwards, however, will not be possible for UFC 300. The event takes place on April 13th, which is just after the holy period of Ramzan for Muslims.
It is highly unlikely that Makhachev will accept a fight that requires him to train during Ramzan. Makhachev has traditionally always fought once at the start of the year and once towards the end.