Even in retirement, the victories keep rolling in for Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Despite only competing once in the calendar year, the UFC lightweight champion was named the BBC Sports Personality’s Sport Star of the Year. The BBC made the announcement on Thursday after an online vote. Nurmagomedov beat out an impressive list of athletes, including NBA star Lebron James, Golfer Dustin Johnson and Irish boxing sensation Katie Taylor. The BBC had this to say of the UFC star:
The Russian, 32, extended his perfect professional record to 29 wins with an emotional victory of interim champion Justin Gaethje in October.
The UFC lightweight champion fought just months after the death of his father, coach and mentor Abdulmanap.
Considered by some to be the greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time, he retired straight after his victory.
Nurmagomedov’s 29-0 record in MMA included 13 straight victories under the UFC banner.
He successfully defended his lightweight title on three occasions, and was seen as one of the most dominant athletes in MMA history.
Nurmagomedov took to Instagram to acknowledge the award and thank the BBC and his fans for the recognition.
“This award means a lot for me,” Nurmagomedov wrote in the caption of a photo highlighting his career accomplishments. “Recognition is one of the biggest motivation in the life, as in the sport.”
Though Nurmagomedov may be retired, his future in the sport is far from over. UFC president Dana White remains adamant in his belief that The Eagle will return to the octagon to run his record to 30-0. On top of that, he recently purchased an MMA organization of his own, which he hopes will serve as a launch pad for fighters careers.
Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov deserved to win the award? Who would you have voted for?