The mixed martial arts (MMA) world misses all-time great Lightweight legend, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Fortunately for us, we got to see him fight six more years than we could have.
2014 was a big year for Nurmagomedov until the injury bug bit and left him sidelined for two years. It was a stretch where fans throughout the community questioned whether or not “The Eagle” was injury-prone and ever going to reach the inevitable potential he possessed.
Ultimately, Nurmagomedov did exactly that by becoming the Lightweight champion when he defeated Al Iaquinta via a unanimous decision at UFC 223 in April 2018. Two years later, he tied the divisional title defense record at three and called it a career with a pristine 29-0 record at age 31. However, it could have all ended six years earlier.
“It was hardest time in my career, like professional career, because I remember when I dominated Rafael dos Anjos [and] after that I broke my leg. I had ACL surgery,” Nurmagomedov said on the Inspire Me Podcast (h/t MMA Junkie). “After that, dos Anjos became champion, and I tried to come back. I tore one more time ACL and one more surgery. I tried to come back. I broke my ribs.
“After that, I tried to come back,” he continued. “I had surgery on my back. It was a very hard time, and I remember I was talking with my father, ‘Maybe this is a signal from God you have to stop.’ He told me, ‘You cannot give up. When you have some test you have to show your toughness if you’re tough. If you’re not tough you just can give up, and that’s it.’”
Nurmagomedov, 35, still hung up the gloves earlier than many expected despite going beyond his original questioning. After the legend’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away in 2020, Nurmagomedov’s mother implored him to stop fighting, and he followed the request. Now, Nurmagomedov remains around the scene by coaching some of the best in the world, like new Lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev.
“I remember he told me, ‘If you want to go, you have to go,’” Nurmagomedov said. “‘If not, anyways, I’m going to have a UFC champion. With you or without you, I’m going to make someone a UFC champion.’ This gave me like crazy energy. Like if my father wants, who has to do this if I’m not? And this gave me crazy energy. I just keep going, keep going. I just come back and after that, what happened? This is all history.”