“He is Gonna Go Up to 30” – Dana White Gives a Major Update on Khabib Nurmagomedov

UFC President Dana White is still hopeful that Khabib Nurmagomedov will come back despite walking away at UFC 254. Earlier, soon after his emphatic win over Justin Gaethje, an emotional Nurmagomedov announced his retirement in the post-fight interview.

However, White is confident that ‘The Eagle’ wants to touch the coveted 30-0 mark and could make his return soon.

“I told you guys that I think he is gonna go to 30. He is still testing. Why the hell would you want to test still if you are not gonna fight?” White added, “He hasn’t committed but I feel like he is gonna. I am not really pushing him. We talked about it. He just fought. Let him take some time, spend some time with his family. Spend the holidays. There’s no rush,” White said.

Khabib Nurmagomedov has not withdrawn his name from the USADA’s testing pool. Recently, the Dagestani fighter took to Instagram as he revealed the number of times he has been tested throughout his UFC career.

Needless to say, fight fans were left wondering if Nurmagomedov was serious about his decision. In the past, the likes of Conor McGregor have announced their retirement from the sport while being active under USADA’s testing pool.

Who should Khabib Nurmagomedov fight in his return fight?

There are a number of options for Khabib Nurmagomedov should he decide to return to the UFC. The Dagestani fighter has not made his retirement official and still reigns as the current UFC lightweight champion. Furthermore, he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier could be a #1 contender’s match for the UFC lightweight championship. However, the title won’t be on the line considering White feels Nurmagomedov is going to fight eventually.

The addition of Michael Chandler has made the UFC’s lightweight division look all the more exciting. Additionally, a huge match-up against Tony Ferguson is an equally exciting fight.

Needless to say, should McGregor triumph over Poirier come UFC 257, a rematch between Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Conor McGregor could well be the biggest spectacle in the history of mixed martial arts.