Khabib Nurmagomedov Retirement Branded Fake News; UFC Return Looms

On paper, Khabib Nurmagomedov is officially retired from the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA).

However, there are a lot of people who believe that “The Eagle” is far from done. Among those who think that the world has not seen the last of the Russian are UFC President Dana White and manager Ali Abdelaziz.

To date, the UFC has yet to strip Nurmagomedov of the lightweight title which is why most feel that the Dagestani is far from done with the UFC.

Furthermore, White is convinced that Nurmagomedov will continue to fight although he appears to be keeping his fingers crossed, TMZ Sports reported.

In a previous post, it was suggested that Nurmagomedov could make a UFC return once he gets over the passing of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Khabib’s father passed away due to complications caused by the coronavirus. His current retirement was part of a promise he made to his mother to stop competing.

That could stick for now, but White s things will change somewhere along the way. He even pointed out how it was the wish of the father of Khabib to see his son go 30-0 that could encourage him to strap on four-ounce gloves again.

While waiting, White also teased about the Russian’s next opponent. There are four names to watch. This includes old rival Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson.

"We'll see how all these things play out here ... One of those guys would definitely be in for the fight," White said.

Another hint that Nurmagomedov may return is the response of his manager to a tweet suggesting that he plans to stay retired. He responded and said it was fake news.

Regardless, Nurmagomedov is using his current time to mourn the loss of his father and keep his promise to his mother.

Nurmagomedov is aware that White and the rest will continue to chase him. He is aware that the show must go on but has no plans to continue, for now, RT Sport reported.

“It’s all about big money, views and media coverage, so I am sure they will keep chasing me. You have just finished one fight and fans right away start looking forward to your next one," Nurmagomedov stated. “They always want the show to go on. But I have no plans to continue fighting.”