$5 Million? Nope!

Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t coming back.

Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans were deprived of many more potentially epic performances from the 34-year-old “Eagle.” Unfortunately for us, the undefeated 29-0 legend called it a career after his final appearance opposite Justin Gaethje, submitting “The Highlight” via a second round triangle choke at UFC 254 in October 2022.

Nurmagomedov’s dream match up was always a bout with longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight and Middleweight champion, Georges St-Pierre. While the super fight never materialized for several reasons, a grappling match was recently brought up as the most likely of possibilities. St-Pierre will return to action this coming December 2023, and according to Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) ace, Craig Jones, Nurmagomedov was a top option, but begged for a hefty price of $5 million.

“Where did Craig Jones get the figure of about $5 million?” Nurmagomedov’s manager, Rizvan Magomedov, told TASS. “Maybe his grandmother whispered these numbers to him. It looks funny.

“They proposed to hold a fight, but the conversation didn’t even reach the amounts,” he added. “They didn’t even discuss, they didn’t ask what amount and price. They asked if there was a desire or not. Then it was all over.”

St-Pierre’s grappling return opponent has yet to be determined. Names such as Demian Maia, Nick Diaz, Kamaru Usman, and Colby Covington have been floated around as likely candidates but overall, “Rush” wants it to be someone the fans want.

Forever linked to MMA, Nurmagomedov took a step back from his coaching and promoter duties in 2022. It’s unlikely that the legendary Lightweight ever returns to the Octagon. Regardless, it will be interesting to see how long he goes before serious discussions heat up as no one ever seems fully retired in the wild world of combat sports.