Those sheep won’t feed themselves!
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired from mixed martial arts (MMA), and while promotion president Dana White has yet to strip “The Eagle” of his 155-pound strap, it doesn’t sound like there’s much reason to remain optimistic about a potential return to combat sports.
“Every day I woke up in the morning and started training, and in the evening my body was exhausted, because I had brought it to the limit,” Nurmagomedov told Esquire Middle East. “I just want to live a life in which I can get at least a little sleep before lunchtime, to live for myself and not devote myself 100 percent to sports.”
Nurmagomedov, 32, retired with a professional record of 29-0, even though longtime rival Nate Diaz claims to have grounded “The Eagle” when they came face-to-face back in 2015. Perhaps that’s one of many experiences Khabib can share with the next generation of Dagestani superstars.
“Now that I’m not going to train any more, I have people close to me — brothers and friends — who are now fighting at the highest level,” Nurmagomedov continued. “There are about five or six people who we are building the path with, and I will help them, train with them, share my experiences. To some extent, this can be called a coaching life, but I am not going to fully enter into coaching. I will always be there and share my experience.”