UFC 254 left a bittersweet taste among UFC fans after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s sudden decision to hang up his gloves. The Dagestani fighter retired after defeating Justin Gaethje, as he stated that this had been his last fight, leaving his record unblemished at 29-0. Since he announced his retirement, rumors about a possible return to the Octagon have popped up time and time again.

After all, he still had a lot left in the tank. It is possible that his new role as the coach of the Dagestani camp which features the likes of Islam Makhachev and Umar Nurmagomedov too might inspire him to have one last fight inside the Octagon. So, is ‘The Eagle’ going to find a way back to the nest? Well, let’s find out the answer to this looming question in hand.

Why did Khabib Nurmagomedov retire from the UFC?

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s life is more about family than it is about combat. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, his father and lifelong coach, was instrumental in developing him into the disciplined, uncompromising athlete that the world grew to love and respect all around the world. However, tragedy struck ‘The Eagle’s life when Abdulmanap died in July 2020 from COVID-19 complications.

This left a major void in the life of the Dagestani fighter. In fact, following his father’s death, the 29-0 assured his mother that he would retire, claiming that going inside the cage without Abdulmanap by his side was something unimaginable for him.

‘The Eagle’ was only one fight away from achieving an unrivaled 30-0 record. Nevertheless, he chose to respect the promise he made to his mother. Nurmagomedov’s final bout was at UFC 254 in October 2020, where he faced Justin Gaethje in a lightweight championship defense. As expected, the Dagestani dominated the bout, submitting Gaethje with a triangle choke in the second round. Just like his other fights, this win like the other 28 in the past was an MMA masterclass. But it also carried a bittersweet aftertaste as it marked the end of a career that was nothing short of legendary.

How much did the UFC offer Khabib to come back?

The decision of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement, however, has not prevented the UFC from attempting to bring ‘The Eagle’ back to their active roster. UFC head honcho Dana White has time and again expressed his wish to see the 29-0 fight compete again, In fact, he even made some lucrative offers to entice the Dagestani fighter and offered to pit GOAT Georges St-Pierre who was indeed ready to compete against ‘The Eagle’.

In a conversation with the American Kickboxing Academy, Nurmagomedov told his teammate Daniel Cormier that the UFC gave him offers that one could just imagine. How much are we talking about? According to Nurmagomedov, he had been offered everything from $20 million to even $40 million. Despite the financial bait, ‘The Eagle’ has remained firm on his decision.

But why? Nurmagomedov revealed the reason during an episode of ‘The Ultimate 30.’ “When you’re the best fighter in the world, when you’re strong enough, when you have money when you’re famous, it’s very hard to say no to all these things. But for me, it’s not everything. This is not the most important.” The former 155lbs god-king claims that his decision is final and that he has no regrets about it.

Khabib talks about the possibility of his return

Four years after hanging up his gloves, Khabib Nurmagomedov continues to deny speculations of a comeback. At a recent iNews event in Indonesia, ‘The Eagle’ was asked the inevitable question: Will he return to the Octagon? Being as blunt as ever, Nurmagomedov replied, “There is no chance whatsoever. Not even 1%, minus.” While fans may be disappointed by the answer, Nurmagomedov made sure to remind his fans that his presence is still felt in the MMA world, just in a new role.

His aim has moved to create a champion dynasty that will continue on his father’s legacy. Nurmagomedov said, “If you guys need champions, I’m helping my brothers to become champions. We have Islam [Makhachev] as a champion, we have Umar [Nurmagomedov] as the next contender, we have Usman [Nurmagomedov] as a champion—we have a lot of champions. You guys are never going to miss me because, in our team and our gym, we create champions.”

However, for now, we can clearly say that Nurmagomedov has made up his mind about staying retired and it seems unlikely that he would be making his return in the coming future. But what do you think? Will ‘The Eagle’ find a way back to his nest? Let us know in the comments.