No matter what happens at UFC 257, Khabib Nurmagomedov says he won’t be fighting anytime soon.
Regardless of what Dana White says, Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t waiting for “something spectacular” to happen at UFC 257 to decide if he returns to fighting or not.
Khabib met with the UFC president White last Friday to discuss the Russian’s retirement. The following day, White revealed on the UFC Fight Island 7 broadcast that Khabib was waiting to see how UFC 257 played out, and he would fight again if somebody delivered in the main or co-main event.
Touching on those comments made by White, Khabib made clear to Sport24 that no matter what happens at UFC 257 he’s not looking to return to the UFC.
“I have achieved almost everything in this sport and there isn’t someone I would like to fight now,” Nurmagomedov told Sport24 (Transcription via MMA Mania). “A lot of people don’t want to understand my side. I don’t see that yet. I train for myself. If we talk about all my business projects that are planned, fights are not in these plans.”
Following his submission win over Justin Gaethje this past October, Nurmagomedov (29-0) retired after promising his mother he would not fight again without his late father. Still listed as the UFC lightweight champion, it’s expected a vacant title fight will be made after UFC 257 plays out this weekend.
“My mother is the most precious thing I have left,” Nurmagomedov continued. “You won’t push me to do things that will disappoint my mother. I don’t even have plans for UFC in the near future. I don’t even have any thoughts about preparing for a fight. I saw how Umar (Nurmgomedov) was preparing now and I thought, Alhamdulillah (praise be to God) I left it behind.”
UFC 257 takes place this Saturday, Jan 23rd at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Conor McGregor rematches Dustin Poirier in the headliner, while Dan Hooker faces UFC debutant Michael Chandler in the co-main event.