Khabib Nurmagomedov News
Robert Whittaker on "phenomenal" Khabib Nurmagomedov: "I wouldn’t want to take a fight with him"
Tom Taylor - October 29, 2020
Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has some high praise for UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov—even conceding he wouldn’t want to fight him. Whittaker and Nurmagomedov both returned to the cage at UFC 254 last Saturday. Whittaker defeated Jared Cannonier in a perceived middleweight No. 1 contender fight in the co-main event, while Nurmagomedov defended the lightweight belt with a submission win over Justin Gaethje in the main event, and announced his retirement immediately thereafter.
UFC 254 PPV numbers reportedly fall short, prelims get lowest rating for 2020 PPV card
Tom Taylor - October 29, 2020
The viewership numbers for last Saturday’s UFC 254 card on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi are in, and they certainly leave a lot to be desired. According to a report from Sports Business Journal, UFC 254 sold 675,000 pay-per-views, making it the fifth biggest pay-per-view card of the year behind UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal (1.3M), UFC 256: McGregor vs. Cerrone (1M), UFC 253: Adesanya vs. Costa (700,000) and UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje (700,000).
Video | Khabib Nurmagomedov winces in pain after snagging broken toe against cage in win over Justin Gaethje
Harry Kettle - October 29, 2020
New footage has been uncovered that seems to show Khabib Nurmagomedov catching his broken toe in the cage at UFC 254. In the immediate aftermath of Nurmagomedov’s big win over Justin Gaethje last Saturday night, Dana White revealed that “The Eagle” had actually suffered a broken foot of some description in the weeks leading up to the bout.
Colby Covington claims he is "the reason" why Khabib Nurmagomedov never fought at 170 to keep unbeaten record
Cole Shelton - October 28, 2020
Colby Covington believes he is the reason why Khabib Nurmagomedov never fought at welterweight. Nurmagomedov has been a lightweight for the majority of his career and defended his lightweight title at UFC 254 against Justin Gaethje. Following the win, he announced his retirement from the sport with an undefeated record. Yet, for Covington, he claims the Dagestani champion was only unbeaten because he was fighting at lightweight.
Khabib Nurmagomedov pens heartfelt tribute to coach Javier Mendez
Tom Taylor - October 28, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov has penned a heartfelt tribute to his long-time head coach at American Kickboxing Academy, Javier Mendez. Nurmagomedov returned to the cage in the main event of UFC 254 last Saturday on Fight Island, where he picked up a submission victory over Justin Gaethje and defended the UFC lightweight title in the process. Post-fight, he announced his retirement from MMA.
Tony Ferguson predicts Khabib Nurmagomedov will fight again: "I'll be f**king ready"
Tom Taylor - October 28, 2020
Top UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson has some doubts about the permanence of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s recent retirement announcement. Nurmagomedov, the undisputed lightweight champion, announced his retirement after he submitted Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 254 last weekend.
Georges St-Pierre shares his thoughts on the MMA GOAT debate
Harry Kettle - October 28, 2020
Georges St-Pierre has offered up his thoughts on the ever-present debate regarding who the GOAT of mixed martial arts really is. St-Pierre, who last fought back in November 2017, has been a man in demand over the course of the last few days in the wake of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement. Many fans and pundits alike were hoping that St-Pierre would go head to head with Nurmagomedov somewhere down the road, but now, it doesn’t appear as if it’s ever likely to happen.
Baseball star Josh Donaldson calls Khabib Nurmagomedov "one of the most boring fighters in the world"
Adam Martin - October 27, 2020
Baseball star Josh Donaldson called former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov “one of the most boring fighters in the world.” Donaldson is a former American League MVP for the Toronto Blue Jays in MLB and currently stars for the Minnesota Twins as the team’s starting third baseman. Donaldson is also a massive UFC fan and was a regular guest when the promotion held events in Toronto while he played for the Blue Jays. He also developed a friendship with UFC welterweight contender Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson after meeting him at an event.
Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to earning No. 1 pound-for-pound ranking
Tom Taylor - October 27, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov has reacted to the news that he’s now the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the official UFC rankings. Nurmagomedov returned to the cage in the main event of UFC 254 last weekend, where he defeated Justin Gaethje, a man widely considered his toughest foe to date, by second-round submission. After the fight, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from MMA, and shared his hope that he’d leave the sport as the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
UFC rankings update: Khabib Nurmagomedov steals top P4P spot
Tom Taylor - October 27, 2020
The official UFC rankings have been updated in the wake of UFC 254, and as widely expected, Khabib Nurmagomedov has gotten what he wanted. After Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 254, and announced his retirement from MMA immediately immediately thereafter, he shared his hopes that he’d steal the top spot in the updated UFC’s men pound-for-pound rankings.
Khabib Nurmagomedov shares X-ray of broken foot sustained before UFC 254
Tom Taylor - October 27, 2020
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t just beat Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, he did so with a broken foot. Nurmagomedov defeated Gaethje by second-round submission, putting his challenger to sleep with a triangle choke. As if that feat wasn’t impressive enough on it’s own, he pulled it off with a broken foot.
Javier Mendez shocked Khabib Nurmagomedov retired, confirms the champ "is done"
Cole Shelton - October 26, 2020
Javier Mendez didn’t know Khabib Nurmagomedov was going to retire after he defeated Justin Gaethje. All the talk for Nurmagomedov has been he will retire at 30-0. Yet, after he defeated Gaethje to improve to 29-0 he announced his retirement from MMA. He said he could not continue without his father and for Mendez, he said you have to respect the champ’s decision to do that.
Khabib Nurmagomedov had amazing reason for finishing Justin Gaethje with triangle choke instead of armbar
Adam Martin - October 26, 2020
UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has a reason why he switched from an armbar to a triangle choke on Justin Gaethje in the UFC 254 main event. Nurmagomeov had a stunning performance as he tapped Gaethje out cold with a second-round submission that sent his opponent to sleep. Nurmagomedov improved to 29-0 with the win including a 13-0 mark in the Octagon alone. But of course, what everyone was talking about the day after the fight was Nurmagomedov’s shocking retirement, with his incredible win over Gaethje being pushed to the side in favor of the GOAT discussion.
Video | Watch fans in Dagestan react to Khabib Nurmagomedov defeating Justin Gaethje
Tom Taylor - October 26, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov impressed fight fans everywhere when he defeated Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 254, but the reaction of fans in his native Dagestan was something special. Nurmagomedov is a massive superstar in Dagestan and across Russia, and that’s clearer than ever when you watch the footage of fan reactions to his second-round submission win over Gaethje.
Conor McGregor vows he's "still committed" as lightweight division opens up
Tom Taylor - October 26, 2020
Former two-division champion Conor McGregor has achieved a lot in MMA, but vows that he’s “still committed” to his goals in the sport. In terms of competitive achievements, McGregor is one of the most successful fighters in UFC history. In terms of financial achievements, he’s the most successful by a huge margin. Despite all that he’s done as a pro fighter, the Irishman says he’s “still committed.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov says he's retired, but you can still bet on his next opponent
Adam Martin - October 26, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement after UFC 254, but you can still bet on who he’ll fight next. Nurmagomedov submitted Justin Gaethje with a second-round triangle choke in the main event of this past Saturday’s UFC 254. “The Eagle” then shocked the MMA community when he announced his immediate retirement from the sport, hanging up his gloves after achieving a perfect 29-0 record in MMA and 13-0 in the UFC. Nurmagomedov cited family reasons as the reason why he’s retired, but the sportsbooks aren’t necessarily buying it.
Joe Rogan declares Khabib Nurmagomedov "the GOAT"
Tom Taylor - October 26, 2020
Long-time UFC commentator Joe Rogan has proclaimed the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov as the Greatest of all Time in mixed martial arts. Nurmagomedov returned to the Octagon in the main event of UFC 254 on Saturday night, when he defended the UFC lightweight title with a second-round submission victory over Justin Gaethje, who was widely touted as his toughest test to date. In the moments after this win, Nurmagomedov shocked the world by announcing his retirement from MMA, riding off into the sunset with a flawless 29-0 MMA record and reputation as one of the best fighters ever.
Ali Abdelaziz lives out personal "dream" as Khabib Nurmagomedov meets Sheik Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Tom Taylor - October 26, 2020
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz lived out a personal dream this week when his star client Khabib Nurmagomedov met Sheik Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the United Arab Emirates. Nurmagomedov returned to the cage in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 254 card in Abu Dhabi, where he defended the UFC lightweight title with a second-round submission defeat of Justin Gaethje—a man many considered his toughest test to date.



