UFC president Dana White is still not giving up on a Khabib Nurmagomedov comeback.
White recently claimed he still believed there was a chance Nurmagomedov would come out of retirement and compete again as he planned to have dinner with him again.
“Let some of these [lightweight] fights play out to see who would fight next for the title,” White said. “I think if Khabib is interested, he’ll take the fight.”
“There’s still a chance.”
With Nurmagomedov cornering Islam Makhachev at UFC 259 last night, the pair had a chance to sit together and watch the rest of the fights.
@danawhite
pic.twitter.com/b5weBQPY42
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) March 7, 2021
And according to White, they talked again of the possibility of Nurmagomedov returning only for the latter to laugh it off.
“We did [talk]. I said, ‘Hey, how about September?’” White said at the UFC 259 post-fight press conference (via RT). “He laughed like you [reporters] did. He just laughed. That’s all he did. We’re going to go to dinner.”
Of course, the pair met privately before UFC 257 in January to discuss the same with White claiming Nurmagomedov was looking to be impressed by a lightweight to consider returning.
However, Nurmagomedov contradicted his claims later by stating that he wouldn’t disobey his mother’s wishes by competing again.
Clearly, that isn’t stopping White from pursuing his goal.
Do you think Nurmagomedov will return to action?