UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t know what the future holds for him. However, he doesn’t think he’ll be retiring just yet.
Nurmagomedov will return to action on October 24 when he faces Justin Gaethje in a lightweight title unification clash that will headline UFC 254.
It will be his first fight since the death of his father Abdulmanap with many observers initially skeptical about whether he would compete at all given how close he was to his father.
However, that’s not the case anymore but what will be next for “The Eagle” if he comes out on top against Gaethje?
“Very good question, honestly, very good question,” Nurmagomedov said during UFC 254 virtual media day. “I don’t know. I don’t know. You know, for example, I’m going to finish Justin Gaethje inside the cage October 24 — what else? This is a very good question. We’ll see. I love competition. I love competing with the best fighters in the world. That’s why I’m here. You know, I’m not in UFC to make money. I have a lot of business projects outside the UFC. I can make money. It’s a good question – very good question.
“… I don’t think (I’ll retire). We have a couple of options. We’re going to think about this after this fight. Dana told me after this fight, he has something special for me but I told him, ‘please keep this (to yourself). After the fight, we’re going to talk.’ They said, ‘we have very big things after this fight for you.’ We’ll see.”
Perhaps that something special has to do with Nurmagomedov’s request for a dream fight with Georges St-Pierre?
What do you make of Nurmagomedov’s comments?