UFC lightweight GOAT and champion Khabib Nurmagomedov retired with a record of 29-0 after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on October 24, 2020, citing a promise he made to his mother. UFC president Dana White has kept The Eagle as champion, and there are multiple signs that that’s not just wishful thinking. Nurmagomedov remains willingly in the USADA testing pool, and his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, in November posted a message on Twitter – 30-0.
Nurmagomedov appeared in person at UFC 257 with the explicit plan that he would watch the event and if he saw a worthy challenger and fight once more if he did, fulfilling his father Abdulmanap’s longtime plan to retire at 30-0. Despite Dustin Poirier defeating Conor McGregor in the main event, and Michael Chandler having an epic league debut in the co-main, the champ saw nothing sufficiently inspiring.
UFC president Dana White and Nurmagomedov are in dance, with the champ angling for a fight vs. welterweight GOAT Georges St-Pierre. White, perhaps irked that GSP won the middleweight championship in 2017 and promptly re-retired, isn’t willing to make the fight.
Nurmagomedov recently said he had given up on the one fight that holds interest for him. However, former champ champ and insightful commentator Daniel Cormier enjoys a very winning friendship with his AKA teammate Nurmagomedov, so his opinion carries heavy weight. And in his opinion, White shouldn’t give up, as he explained on a recent DC and Helwani podcast.
He just dominated a very tough Justin Gaethje. So yeah that’s why he’s the man that’s why he is the absolute man and that is why Dana White continues to ask him to come back to fighting,” said Cormier. I wouldn’t stop, I’d go ten meetings. Every time he’d be willing to take a meeting I would keep talking, I’d keep trying to convince him.
What do you think UG? Should White quit, or are ten more meetings in order? And who should White offer Khabib?
