White ‘Just Reached Out’ To Khabib

UFC President Dana White, ever the opportunist, recently devised a new plan to lure former lightweight champion and Eagle FC promoter Khabib Nurmagomedov back into the Endeavor family. And just like every other time White and Co. tried to pressure “The Eagle” into taking flight one last time, the answer was (and will probably always be) “no.”

In fact, Nurmagomedov won’t even train anymore.

“I just reached out to him recently to see if he’s interested in something and he’s like, ‘I’m retired, brother. I’m done.’ I don’t think Khabib ever comes back,” White told The Jim Rome Show (transcribed by Milan Ordonez). “It was something different. I was trying to get him to do a grappling match. He’s like, ‘I’m done, I’m retired.’ I think that when his father passed away, that was a wrap for him. And he’s just focused on training other guys and helping them become world champions.”

Or maybe he just skipped town to avoid this streaking lightweight.

Nurmagomedov (29-0), who turns 34 later this month, retired in the wake of his Justin Gaethje win at UFC 254 back in late 2020. At the time, Charles Oliveira was not ranked in the Top 5 of the division and opened as the betting underdog against former interim champion and longtime Nurmagomedov rival Tony Ferguson.

Fast-forward two years and it seems “The Eagle” has landed … permanently.