The father and coach of undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said that his son's career might end after two or three fights. The comments were made during Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's interview with the YouTube channel Fight Nights Global, where he was discussing Khabib's next fight.
"Khabib has to leave in two-three fights," said Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
The Russian fighter, who currently holds the longest undefeated strike in MMA history with 28 consecutive wins, also previously said in an interview to Arab News that he was planning to finish his fighting career at the age of 33 or 34. While he is currently only 31 years old, Khabib said that he still had several years to compete with "the toughest challenges in the world" but noted that it was essential to "know when you need to stop".
"I want to compete with the toughest challenges in the world. Like whatever opponent they give me, I'm gonna fight, and I'm gonna improve my legacy", Khabib said at that time.
"You can watch in history. If you watch all athletes like in soccer, boxing, MMA, everywhere- one day you're going to lose. You have to know when you need to stop. I think maybe two years", he added.
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The Russian fighter's Coach also stated that mixed martial artist Tony Ferguson, who currently holds the record for the most consecutive wins, twelve, in the history of the UFC lightweight division, is most likely to be Khabib's next opponent on the octagon. The legendary UFC fight between the two undefeated MMA fighters could potentially take place in March or April 2020.
While reflecting on the idea of a possible rematch with Irish mixed martial artist Connor McGregor, who lost to Khabib in a fourth-round submission defeat in October last year, Abdulmanap noted that it would only be possible if Khabib's other potential opponents refuse to come to Russia, as Nurmagomedov hopes that the mixed martial artist's next fight will take place in his home country.
"Games, statements, clowning - all this remains, but he has not won against anyone for three and a half years. Now he is only talking. But people need fights. Previously, he succeeded, but now they are destroying him," Abdulmanap said, referring to McGregor.
Khabib was suspended for nine months following the brawl with McGregor, that took place after UFC-229 in Las Vegas in October 2018. Former UFC champion McGregor later wrote on his Twitter account "book my rematch for Moscow" following Nurmagomedov's third-round submission victory against American lightweight fighter Dustin Poirier in September 2019. Khabib has not endorsed the idea of a rematch so far.
