Irish-born Ultimate Fighting Championship participant Conor McGregor on Saturday reacted to Khabib "The Eagle" Nurmagomedov's decision to end his professional UFC career, expressing his respect for the Russian fighter and condolences to his family following the death of Nurmagomedov's father of coronavirus complications earlier this year.
McGregor said that he "will carry on" his career in the mixed martial championship following his traditional rival's retirement.
"Good performance @TeamKhabib. I will carry on", McGregor wrote following Nurmagomedov's announcement. "Respect and condolences on your father again also. To you and family. Yours sincerely, The McGregors".
Swedish professional boxer Badou Jack took to Twitter to react to the retirement of Khabib, who has a 29-0 record, praising the Russian as a "legend".
On Saturday, following his victory over US opponent Justin Gaethje at the UFC 254 tournament in Abu Dhabi, UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov said that the match was the last fight of his career. The Eagle explained that he was fulfilling a promise to his mother not to fight without his father and personal trainer, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who died of COVID-19 complications on 2 July.
"God gave me everything. These guys are with me. Today was my last fight", Nurmagomedov said after the bout. "I have only one parent left - this is my mother. I would like to devote more time to her", he said.
Following Nurmagomedov's decision to finish his career, the UFC official Twitter account described him as "a king, now and always".
The UFC posted a tribute video featuring Khabib passionately speaking about his father and giving thanks to him in the octagon before the latter's death.
The UFC lightweight champion posted a photo of himself with his late father on Instagram, thanking him for everything he had taught him.
"When ALLAH with you, nobody can broke you, nobody", the 32-year-old Nurmagomedov wrote. "Thanks Father for everything, you teach all my life, may ALLAH grant you the highest Paradise".
The elder Nurmagomedov was a former USSR master of sports in freestyle wrestling, an Honored Coach of Russia, and known as the most prominent coach in his home region – the Russian Federation's Republic of Dagestan.