Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘misses’ fighting amid links to huge UFC return amid tax issues
Islam Makhachev knows that Khabib Nurmagomedov misses being in the MMA spotlight.
After scoring his third-straight lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje in October 2020, ‘The Eagle’ laid down his gold and gloves, announcing that he was officially retiring from the sport following the passing of his coach and father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
Since then, it seems like there is a rumor every other week regarding Nurmagomedov’s potential return to collect a 30th career win. Thus far, that has not come to fruition, but the Dagestani’s successor, current 155-pound king Islam Makhachev, revealed that ‘The Eagle’ misses the fight game and still regular trains.
“I think he’s happy, but he misses fighting, fight camp, the fight game,” Makhachev told Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo on the Pound 4 Pound podcast That’s why he joins us everywhere,” Makhachev said of Nurmagomedov. “He loves to train, every day he trains. Not just when he’s with us, every day this guy’s training…
“He has a house in the village, a house in the city. Each house has a sauna, swimming pool, everything.”
Could Rumored Tax Troubles bring Khabib Nurmagomedov out of retirement?
According to friend and former training partner Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov reportedly turned down an incredible $40 million offer to make his return to the Octagon. Though neither party disclosed the contract’s details, it would have been one of the biggest deals for a fighter in UFC history.
Recently, rumors have once again popped up suggesting that ‘The Eagle’ could make his way back to MMA after it was alleged that he owes 306 million rubles, or $3.3 million, to the Russian Federal Tax Service.
Nurmagomedov’s team has denied the reports, but if the claim proves to be true, we’re sure Uncle Dana would happily write him a big fat check to try and go 30-0 on MMA’s biggest stage.
