Khabib Nurmagomedov: Lightweight Division ‘Needs To Go On’

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has booked another meeting with UFC president Dana White, and it sounds like he is ready to move on for good.

Nurmagomedov retired from the sport following his submission victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Despite this, White has opted not to strip him of the title, believing he would be able to convince ‘The Eagle’ to come back for one more fight. There was hope Nurmagomedov would be open for a rematch against Conor McGregor should he had been victorious at UFC 257, but that was quickly closed when Dustin Poirier knocked him out in the second round. In the end, Nurmagomedov told White that there aren’t any potential fights that interest him, and seemed to double down on his retirement claim.

Since then, a number of rumors about Nurmagomedov’s future have been thrown about, most notably involving a potential match-up against UFC Hall-of-Famer Georges St-Pierre. But with the champion apparently uninterested in the fight and seemingly having a full plate running the Eagle Fighting Championship, it’s becoming more apparent by the day that we’ve seen the last of Nurmagomedov inside of the octagon.

In an interview with Match TV, Nurmagomedov revealed he has another meeting with White scheduled for the end of the month. He agreed that the lightweight division “needs to go on” and that Poirier should be crowned the champion (H/T Bruno Massami).

In an interview with Match TV, UFC Champ Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed he scheduled a new meeting with Dana White at the end of this month.

He accepts any decision but he thinks the division needs to go on. Also, he agrees about @DustinPoirier deserves to be a Champion. pic.twitter.com/vocvt6m3pc

— Bruno Massami (Бруно Массами) (@BrMassami) February 9, 2021

Given everything that has happened in the lead-up to this meeting, it’s safe to assume Nurmagomedov will let White know he is officially retiring from the sport and give up his belt. You can expect White to continue to push for one last fight, but it sounds as though ‘The Eagle’ has made up his mind, at least for the immediate future. An eventual return will always be on the table, but for now it appears the lightweight division will be allowed to play out with Nurmagomedov watching from the sidelines.

Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov is going to announce is retirement? Let us know!