UFC idol Khabib Nurmagomedov opens up and explains why he no longer wants to fight

K. Nurmagomedov (photo) has been retired from MMA since October 2020. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @khabib_nurmagomev

Even after almost five years since his last fight, the name of Khabib Nurmagomedov is still circulating among UFC fans as a possible attraction for a triumphant return to the Octagon. But the former Ultimate lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg) himself has put an end to any speculation: he has no intention of returning.

In an interview with the Husgle Show, Khabib was adamant that his body can no longer handle the routine required to return to a high level of competition. About to turn 37 in September, the Russian emphasized that today it would take at least six months of intense preparation, but even so, he doesn't guarantee he'll be able to repeat the performance that established him as one of the greatest names in MMA history.

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"Two or three months wouldn't be enough. If we're talking purely hypothetically, right? If we're being honest, it would take at least six months. You can't just say, 'Give me six months, I'll be ready.' No. To get into fighting shape, to get back to your old shape, you need a lot of time," Khabib said.

During the conversation, Khabib also recalled the intensity of his training at the height of his career, revealing that he gave up absolutely everything to focus on his fights.

"If they gave me a fight, boom, in 100 days I'd shut everything down. Completely. No travel, no meetings, no commercial contracts. I wouldn't touch anything. I'd tell them, 'Don't bother me.' I'd train morning and night, morning and night, resting only on Sundays. If I missed one of those sessions, I'd have a panic attack," he confessed.

Khabib Nurmagomedov's painful retirement

K. Nurmagomedov announced his retirement in October 2020. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @ufc

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Khabib announced his retirement on October 24, 2020, shortly after finishing Justin gaethje No. UFC 254, in Abu Dhabi. He emotionally explained that he had promised his mother he would not fight again after the death of his father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, from complications of Covid-19.

His relationship with his father was one of the pillars of his career, and his absence was a determining factor in the fighter's decision to hang up his gloves for good. Even so, the UFC kept him in the anti-doping program for months, hoping for a possible change of heart that never came.