Khabib Nurmagomedov is preparing himself for one of the biggest fights of his career at “UFC 209” where he will challenge Tony Ferguson for the right to become the interim lightweight champion. If Nurmagomedov remains undefeated and captures the interim championship, UFC President Dana White mentioned that he would likely go on to challenge a returning Conor McGregor to unify their belts.
Even though White seems firm in his plans for the co-main event winner to square off with McGregor, plans always change. This time, however, plans could be changing due to Nurmagomedov. Khabib’s father recently informed the media [via. Karim Zidan] that retirement may be near for the twenty-eight year old:
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib’s father/coach, told Russian media that the UFC fighter may retire in 2018. Says he has 1-2 years to go.
— Karim Zidan (@ZidanSports) February 26, 2017
Abdulmanap added that his plan is for Khabib to win the title, defend it 2-3 times and retire by 30 to help develop MMA in Russia.
— Karim Zidan (@ZidanSports) February 26, 2017
If Nurmagomedov retires within two years, it will likely create yet another log jam in the lightweight division. Do you think Khabib will retire undefeated? Will he fight past thirty years old? Share your thoughts and make your predictions in the comment section below!
