Video: 24-year-old Khabib Nurmagomedov called his perfect career ending to a tee
Looking back, it’s no surprise that Khabib Nurmagomedov retired as an undefeated, undisputed UFC champion in his prime.
Known for his accurate fight predictions like when he went 5-0 for the UFC 194 main card, apparently Nurmagomedov is a master at predicting his own fate, too.
The former UFC lightweight champ is fed up with constantly getting asked about a potential return so he decided to post a video of an interview he did when he was just 24 years old to show that this was, in fact, his plan all along, way before he was a global superstar who dominated his division.
“I am 24, and if I win the belt, and I stay undefeated, most likely I’ll leave the sport, because it has no end,” Nurmagomedov said back then. “If I win the title and stay undefeated, I’ll retire.”
Nurmagomedov announced his retirement in October 2020 after he submitted Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. It was his first fight after the death of his father, coach and mentor, Abdulmanap, and he promised his mother that he would no longer compete without his father in his corner. UFC president Dana White did everything he could to convince Khabib otherwise, but he stuck to his word.
The 32-year-old stamped his career with three title defenses over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Gaethje, scoring dominant submissions of all three.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
Video: 24-year-old Khabib Nurmagomedov called his perfect career ending to a tee
