The reason for Khabib Nurmagomedov leaving MMA altogether has been revealed
After retiring from fighting in 2020, ‘The Eagle’ followed in his late father’s footsteps by becoming a coach. He quickly found success, leading Islam Makhachev and Usman Nurmagomedov to world championships in 2022.
It seemed like Nurmagomedov would continue evolving into the best coach on the planet before he shockingly announced his plan to step away from MMA. The former UFC champion had this to say on Instagram:
“I hope my decision is only for the best, a big hug to you all на Thank you, you were a big reason for my success in sports.”
Although Nurmagomedov didn’t clearly announce his departure from MMA, his close friends and training partners began confirming the shocking news. Several days later, MMAFighting revealed the reasoning through undisclosed sources:
“[Khabib is] taking some time off for his family”
It’s unclear how long ‘The Eagle’ plans to step away from MMA. His entire life has revolved around fighting, so it’s difficult to imagine he will never return. What we do know is that Nurmagomedov plans to leave the sport immediately.
Check out the Instagram post by Khabib Nurmagomedov below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov will not corner Islam Makhachev at UFC 284
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s departure from MMA immediately raised questions about Islam Makhachev. ‘The Eagle’ has always been there for Makhachev, contributing massively to the latter becoming the UFC lightweight champion. The reigning lightweight king is preparing to defend his title against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284, and Nurmagomedov likely won’t be in his corner.
Nurmagomedov’s close friend and business partner, Rizvan Magomedov, had this to say in a Russian interview with Match TV:
“I think he made it clear and it was such a balanced decision that he approached for a long time. There is no need to look for any behind-the-scenes reasons or radical incidents there. He just came to this. He ended his career in 2020 but travels during training camps, during fights. Out of 12 months, he is 10 absent from home, constantly on these trips. And he came to such a decision that it was time to spend time with his family, devote time to children. And, most likely, he will miss this fight, yes.”
‘The Eagle’ has two sons and one daughter with his wife. Although he’s retired from fighting, the UFC champion was constantly on the road training a handful of fighters worldwide. Now that he’s stepping away from MMA, Khabib Nurmagomedov can focus on his family and other business ventures.