UFC icon and former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is now a retired fighter. But it seems his retirement has made him explore the other persona of him that was lacking when he used to get ready for battles inside the octagon.
He is making more appearances over interviews and giving his views on everything related to the sport that has given him everything. ‘The Eagle’ is still grabbing attention, albeit more on background work.
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It’s a known fact that he shares a cordial bond with the UFC veteran Luke Rockhold. With the likes, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, and Khabib himself retired from UFC, Rockhold remains the only former champion to hone his skills in the AKA gym.
Because of their friendship, the duo has been involved in many friendly banters over the social media platform. Now, Khabib again has trolled his close friend in an Instagram post.
Rockhold posted a picture of him where he was skateboarding. The former middleweight champion captioned his post, “Patiently waiting for a fight.”
His post received a lot of comments, but none as amusing as Khabib’s. ‘The Eagle’ hilariously commented, “Bring your a** to the gym.”
On the work front, Rockhold (16-5) is out of action from the octagon since his loss to current light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz in 2019. He has been in constant search of opponents but to no avail at the moment.
He recently revealed that Khamzat Chimaev declined the offer to fight. The latter reportedly wants to remain in the welterweight division.
Rockhold recently revealed that Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to coach him
It’s been a while since Khabib last appeared in action. The American Kickboxing Academy alumni retired after successfully defending his crown against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
But according to Rockhold, Khabib wanted to coach him and mentor him in his return just like his late father used to do. ‘The Eagle’ is currently mentoring his pal Islam Makhachev.
“He’s assuming this coaching role now,” Rockhold said in an interview. “He’s going off on me, wanting to coach me. He wants to be a big part of my comeback so it’s pretty funny to see Khabib assume this role.”
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Rockhold further said, “His dad was always insightful and always had a good eye for the sport and I think Khabib is ready to assume that role.”
“Of course he can be a good coach,” Rockhold added. “It’s like; sometimes you have to put yourself aside.”
Well, it will be a tough task for Rockhold to climb the ladder once he returns to the ring. With the likes of Adesanya and Whittaker ruling the roster, Rockhold may need Khabib’s hand in his revival.
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What did you make of Khabib’s hilarious take on Rockhold’s post?