Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the sport of MMA after making his third title defense in the lightweight division. ‘The Eagle’ stated that he did not want to continue fighting after the demise of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, earlier in 2020 due to COVID-19.
Following his retirement, Nurmagomedov has been involved in various other activities. ‘The Eagle’ has entered multiple business ventures, which include the likes of protein bars, an MMA organization, telecom provider, among others.
Nurmagomedov was recently spotted at the Arnold Sports Festival UK where he was a guest speaker. While on stage answering questions, Nurmagomedov received a pleasant surprise when one of his MMA idols showed up.
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‘Rush’ then added, “I told his team listen, I am going to slide behind him like a ninja and it’s going to be my turn this time to get him…. And man, listen to me, you’re as close as a perfect fighter that anybody can be. Perfect career, undefeated, you finished your career on top of your game. For that man, it has never been done. It’s amazing.”
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Georges St-Pierre served as a role model for Khabib Nurmagomedov as he was growing up
It is no secret that ‘The Eagle’ considers ‘GSP’ one of his idols. Nurmagomedov has stated multiple times that ‘Rush’ was his father’s favorite fighter and someone he wanted his son to take after. Georges St-Pierre vs Khabib Nurmagomedov was the dream matchup for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Adbulmanap.
Earlier this year, Dana White stated that a fight between the two men was being mulled on. However, both ‘GSP’ and ‘The Eagle’ quickly shot down the idea. Nurmagomedov insists that no amount of money or quality of the opponent can lure him back into the sport.
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The common consensus among fans is that, if the unfortunate circumstances in his personal life had not forced Nurmagomedov to retire early, a fight between the two would definitely have taken place at some point.
Do you think a fight between the two would have materialized had Nurmagomedov not retired early? Let us know in the comments below!