Khabib Nurmagomedov retired exactly three years ago. Let’s recall his last fight and the story of the undefeated fighter!

On 24th October 2023, a moment that made mixed martial arts history took place at UFC 254. It was the day the fighting legend, undefeated champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, retired. Let’s remember this day and his incredible career.

Khabib Nurmagomedov came into the UFC like a hurricane and became an undefeated legend

For many, the GOAT of mixed martial arts, a former undefeated UFC champion and a charismatic personality who brought the Dagestani school of wrestling to the sport. But three years ago, a life tragedy struck that changed him forever.

If not the best in the history of the sport, certainly the best in the lightweight division. Khabib Nurmagomedov flew into the UFC like a hurricane and virtually wiped out the entire weight class.

Dominant performances, constant pressure on his opponents, an inexhaustible physical pool. These weapons have allowed him to compete in the highest MMA league in the world. Nine wins in a row and the controversy of his #1 foe got him a title shot.

He handled it with ease, dominating Al Iaqinta. The champion then pointed to a single opponent, Conor McGregor, in his first defense. The match was preceded by a rivalry that went far beyond mere sport.

It didn’t end with the fight itself. Khabib did “choke out” McGregor in the fourth round, but there was a huge melee inside and outside the cage. The Dagestani “eagle” was punished and was not allowed to appear in the octagon for nine months.

But even that didn’t stop him from stopping Dustin Poirier in the third round less than a year after his memorable fight with McGregor to defend his lightweight title for a second time.

There was long speculation then about a cursed clash with Tony Ferguson. The two men were pulling a twelve-fight win streak in a row and it was shaping up to be a battle of enormous proportions. It was due to take place in April 2020, but Nurmagomedov was unable to travel out of Russia due to limited air travel because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fight didn’t even take place for the fifth time.

Then 3 years ago he announced his retirement from fighting

Khabib was replaced in the fight by Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje, who demolished Ferguson in such a way that he still hasn’t recovered. Gaethje became Nurmagomedov’s rightful challenger and the fight took place on October 24th, 2000 at UFC 254.

3. july then saw a turning point in Khabib’s life that would change him forever. For just a few months before the fight, the champion’s father and mentor Abdulmanap Nurmaomedov died of heart disease, although he tested positive for COVID.

Although before the fight many experts credited Gaethje with a huge chance to break Khabib’s dominance, the Dagestani completely dominated the fight and forced his opponent to tap out in the second round.

After the fight, Khabib then confirmed in a huge emotion that he was retiring from fighting. The reason was a promise to his mother, who wouldn’t let him go without his father even for the fight with Gaethje. But the champion promised that this particular fight would be his last and ended on an admirable score of 29-0.

Even his father’s wish to round up the number of wins to 30-0 was not answered and Khabib kept his promise to his mother. After a stellar career, he went on to become a promoter for his own organization, The Eagle Fighting Championship, and devoted himself to training at his father’s gym.

But in January of this year, he announced his official retirement from the sport for good. But he will forever go down in the history of the sport as the longest reigning UFC champion, a member of the UFC Hall of Fame and an undefeated legend of the sport.

Source: UFC, Wikipedia, Youtube