So much?! Khabib Nurmagomedov could have been a billionaire, even an extremely generous offer from the UFC didn’t make him come out of retirement

It’s been three years since Khabib Nurmagomedov not only defeated Justin Gaethje, but also ended his MMA career. The UFC boss has long cajoled him to reconsider his decision. However, not even big money could persuade the Dagestani to return.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is undoubtedly one of the best fighters in history. Though there is still speculation as to whether he actually has such a legacy. In particular, his opponents prior to his UFC career are constantly questioned.

Plus, he doesn’t have as many title defenses to his credit as, say, Jon Jones, Anderson Silva or other greats. In the UFC, he’s only had 13 fights. But a 29-0 record speaks volumes. He finished at his peak.

Some say he quit because he was afraid of losing his unbeaten record. But that’s an eternal debate that goes nowhere. What is certain is that in all of his fights in the UFC, Khabib was absolutely dominant. He practically never lost a round. Except maybe with Conor McGregor.

If it wasn’t for his father dying, he would have wanted to round out his record to a beautiful 30-0, however, he retired in 2020 after his win over Justin Gaethje and never returned to the cage as a fighter. Even though UFC boss Dana White tried hard to make it happen.

Khabib turned down huge money

Khabib Nurmagomedov, by the way, was one of the biggest stars of the organization. This was more or less matched by how much he was already earning for his last fights in the UFC. Especially after the fight with McGregor, his star rose considerably in value.

For the Russian market, The Eagle has become an absolute idol. To lose such an ace? You simply don’t want that. So Dana White kept promising to persuade Nurmagomedov to return. He’s been dreaming about it for a long time. But to no avail.

Khabib would not be talked into it. Yet the UFC offered him incredible money. “It was extremely difficult. It’s not easy to say no to 20, 30 or 40 million dollars. But for me, it’s not everything. It’s not the most important thing for me,” MMA Mania quotes him as saying.

“When I made my decision, it was clear. It was over. I’m happy and I never regretted my decision. When you’re the best in the world, when you’re strong enough, when you have money and you’re famous, it’s hard to say no to these things,” Khabib added.

Source: MMA Mania, Tapology