Khabib Nurmagomedov surprises and talks about Islam Makhachev's retirement: 'Leave the sport to the young'

Islam makhachev e Khabib Nurmagomedov They are icons in the UFC lightweight division. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

After announcing that the return of Islam makhachev should take place in New York, in November, Khabib Nurmagomedov spoke again about the future of the former lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg). According to the former fighter, his friend's duel against Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight belt (up to 77,1 kg) will probably be one of the last fights of the training partner's career, as retirement is not far away.

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The statement was made in an interview with 'Ushatayka.' According to Águia, Makhachev is expected to retire within two years at most. He said the age limit for a fighter to hang up his gloves would be 35.

"Islam, in my honest opinion, is maybe a year and a half, two years old. Because in October he'll be 34. When that time comes, no one is the same. It doesn't matter what your name is... When you turn 35, you need to stop doing this. You should leave this sport to the young people," he said.

Khabib believes Islam makhachev has 1–2 years left in the sport

During a press conference, Khabib Nurmagomedov spoke about the importance of retiring at the right time, ideally around the age of 35, when a fighter's prime begins to fade. Pushing beyond that point often… pic.twitter.com/wcSB4vPqjL

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 6, 2025

For Nurmagomedov, high-performance athletes have a short window of time to reach their best performances. According to him, once past their peak, their performance level tends to drop precipitously.

"When you turn 35 and don't end your career, someone will finish you off. Why? It's better to stop. After 35, you'll never be the same. People can say whatever they want, but when you're past your prime, you'll only fight for money," he concluded.

Khabib has been retired since 2020

K. Nurmagomedov gets emotional after victory in UFC 254. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

One of the greatest fighters in MMA history, the Russian retired from the sport in October 2020, shortly after submitting Justin Geathje in the main event of UFC 254 and defend his lightweight belt (up to 70,3 kg) for the third and final time. At just 32 years old at the time, the Eagle decided to hang up his gloves after the death of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, his father and main coach.

Since then, he has become the main technical leader of the Dagestan Clan and has been working on the development of athletes such as Makhachev himself and his cousins Usman and Umar Nurmagomedov.