Several fans and analysts, including Cormier himself, speculated that ‘The Eagle’ may return to the cage to defend the honor of his childhood friend and teammate Islam Makhachev if Charles Oliveira beats him in their upcoming lightweight title clash at UFC 280.
Daniel Cormier doesn’t think Khabib Nurmagomedov will ever return to the octagon again.
Nurmagomedov, however, is happy to stay retired and has made it clear that he will not come out of retirement even if Oliveira beats Makhachev.
‘DC’ has revealed that he recently met the undefeated former fighter at the gym, where he asked Cormier to leave him alone and stop speculating about his comeback.
During a recent interaction with Niall McGrath on Talking Brawls, the former two-division champion said:
“I think it’s done because the last time I was on my show on ESPN and I said maybe if Oliveira beats Islam, Khabib comes back. I go to the gym and he’s like, ‘Brother, please leave me alone. You guys keep doing this like, brother, leave me alone. I am okay in my life,’ so I think it’s done my friend.”
Daniel Cormier believes that Islam Makhachev is a more well-rounded fighter than Khabib Nurmagomedov.
According to the Louisianan, although both Nurmagomedov and Makhachev have a similar wrestling-heavy fighting style, Makhachev is also an excellent striker and is comfortable indulging in striking exchanges on the feet.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s wrestling, however, is on another level, claimed Cormier. He also said that he’s never seen a fighter with a more dominant wrestling game than ‘The Eagle’:
“There’s never been a person more dominant in one skill than Khabib. Khabib’s wrestling [and] grappling [are] so good whereas Islam is a fantastic grappler and Islam is a fantastic striker, probably a more technical striker than Khabib.”
Makhachev and Oliveira will lock horns in the headliner of UFC 280 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 22. Nurmagomedov is expected to corner Makhachev in the fight.
Watch the interview below:
