[ARCHIVES] Khabib Announces Retirement After Win, Fighters React

[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]

It was one year ago to this day that Khabib Nurmagomedov laid down his glove after competing for the final time at UFC 254. What follows is our immediate coverage of this historic occasion in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of the MMA News archives.

[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED OCTOBER 24, 2020, 5:09 PM]

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Justin Gaethje delivered in every way possible.

The showdown served as the main event of the UFC 254 pay-per-view event on Saturday (October 24, 2020) from the Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi aka Fight Island

As seen in the fight, Khabib was on point from the get-go. He continued to push the pace and was never out of the face of Gaethje, who did clip him from a few times. The second round saw Khabib lock in a triangle choke for the win.

Nurmagomedov retained the UFC lightweight champion and extended his pro-MMA record to 29-0. After the fight, he announced his retirement from the sport after promising his mother that this would be the last time. He lost his father earlier this year.

Coming into this fight, Khabib had talked about how the magic number in his mind for retirement was 30-0. He was one away from that and he had expressed interest in fighting former UFC middleweight and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre to fill that role. A fight against Tony Ferguson was also believed to be a possibility for Khabib although some could argue that he needed a win before doing so.

Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement after #UFC254, walking away with an undefeated record of 29-0. pic.twitter.com/8zeppj5rZc

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 24, 2020

Let’s see how the fighters reacted to the outcome of this fight:

Undisputed

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) October 24, 2020

The Legacy of Khabib is unmatched

What an emotional moment after losing his father earlier this year. #ufc254

— Megan Anderson (@MeganA_mma) October 24, 2020