“Watch Bro Pull a Khabib”- Fans Troll Islam Makhachev for Hinting at Retirement After Revealing His Mother Asked Him to “Wrap It Up”

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev asserted his dominance as a top dog in the UFC when he beat Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. The Dagestani fighter went toe-to-toe with the featherweight champion in a performance that convinced all three judges to award him a unanimous decision victory. While his title win against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 left little doubt in anyone’s mind, the same could not be said of his UFC 284 performance. However, the 31-year-old is convinced about his win. In addition, he recently revealed some future plans that might seem like he may follow in the footsteps of his teammate, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Nurmagomedov defended his title three times before hanging up his gloves. He cited his family as the reason behind his decision. Following the passing of his father, Nurmagomedov fought one last time at UFC 254 and called it quits. ‘The Eagle’ also revealed later that he decided to return to his nest at the behest of his mother. Now, a similar situation might be developing with Makhachev.

Islam Makhachev reveals his mother’s earnest request

In a recent interview uploaded on the UFC Russia channel, Makhachev sat down to reminisce about his title win and his plans for the future. Although the chat happened before UFC 284, it is making rounds on social media for what Makhachev revealed during the conversation.

He said, “My mother doesn’t watch fights, not just my fights – fights in general. She doesn’t like seeing people hit each other.” He continued, “When I came home there were a lot of people there. [My mother] said, ‘You’re a champion now. Wrap it up. Khabib listened to his mother. When will you listen to yours?'”

Makhachev also mentioned his reply- “I told her Khabib defended his title and I need to do the same. It’s a hard topic for my mother. My father’s the opposite. He watches all the fights.”

In the aftermath of UFC 284, many fans are wondering if Makhachev might consider his mother’s request and take the same path as Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Fans react to Makhachev’s mother’s request

The MMA world has only seen a little of Makhachev as a champion. Considering the wide gap in his performances at UFC 280 and UFC 284, fans are eager to see which direction he goes next. However, the retirement hints are not too pleasing for them. Although Makhachev has stated no intentions to retire, his revealing of his mother’s wishes led to some speculations from the fans.

Read More– “I Never Expected Justice and I Still Don’t”- Islam Makhachev Breaks Silence After Being Denied Pound-For-Pound Top Spot

Needless to say, not all of them were impressed with the request. Some thought the Volkanovski fight prompted the request, although the interview in question happened long before that contest.

Some took shots at the champion for the recent IV controversy.

Meanwhile, some others discredited both Makhachev and Nurmagomedov’s legacies. Despite all the buzz, Makhachev himself has no retirement plans that we know of. His next fight could be a rematch against Volkanovski or another title defense against a lightweight contender.

Watch This Story– UFC 284: Fighters react to Volkanovski vs. Makhachev controversial decision

What are your thoughts on the comments from Makhachev’s mother? And who do you think he fights next? Let us know in the comments below.