“The pound for pound number one fighter in the UFC, Khabib Nurmagomedov has retired.” That was the headline every columnist had written down the night that Khabib met interim champion, Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi. It was an emotional path to the night for Khabib, who had lost his father and coach, Abdulmanap during the preparations for the fight. Many believed this, combined with the fearless and relentless nature of Gaethje was enough to break the spirit of any competitor.
Courtesy: UFC - The official poster for the main event of UFC 254. Gaethje looked to unify the belt as a 3-1 underdog.
With all that said, 1:34 seconds into the second round, referee Jason Herzog was forced to stop the fight after he finally realized an unconscious Gaethje was at the mercy of Khabib’s triangle choke. An iconic performance that truly electrified those lucky enough to watch live. Surprisingly, what came next truly stole the breath of everybody. Following the flawless submission victory, the normally stoic Khabib broke down into an uncontrollable whimper. It was finally time to mourn, as the pressure and burden was finally lifted off of the warrior’s shoulders. When it was time to conduct the post-fight interview, Khabib praised, “Allah”, and placed his gloves down on the mat, signaling the end of the most dominant career in mixed martial arts history.
Courtesy, UFC - Khabib latching on his incredible triangle choke on Gaethje.
Nonetheless, hope remained that the Dagestani mauler would return to defend his title one last time. President of the UFC, Dana White wasn’t shy about his desire for Khabib to return. Special announcements were made, dinners were arranged, and White even allowed Khabib to retain his title during his supposed time away. This all in an attempt to entice him to stay onboard. Georges St. Pierre came out prior to UFC 254, and pleaded for a crack at Khabib. In fact, the former two division world champion was quoted in an interview with ESPN exclaiming, “And I need to take, for me, the biggest fish. And the one for me, I believe the top guy right now, the name is Khabib.” Social media was buzzing, everybody wanted to know what the future held. Especially since one of if not the greatest fighter of all time called for a legacy defining matchup with today’s number one.
Courtesy: @Khabib_Nurmagomedov - Khabib fed into the hype train, as he shared a photo of his meeting with Dana White, president of the UFC.
However, on March 18th, 2021, nearly five months after the night of his initial retirement, Khabib’s original wishes were finally granted. The infamous vice grip that was responsible for 29 painful defeats is no longer clutching the lightweight championship. It is now vacant and up for grabs May 15th. Michael Chandler, fresh off his devastating debut knockout of the highly respected contender Dan Hooker, will face off against Brazil’s Charles Oliveira. On that day, a new king will be crowned after a 3 year reign of utter superiority once deemed it an impossibility. Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are scheduled for the summer as well, and it is likely the winner of the trilogy will go on to challenge the new champion for their first defence. It is clear that the division is still filled with some of the best that the sport has to offer. Although a shadow looms large over it, it is merely a mirage now. Luckily for everybody contending at 155 pounds, they will never have to hear Bruce Buffer, the announcer and voice of the octagon ever utter these words. “And now introducing the champion. Fighting out of the red corner. An undefeated mixed martial artist holding a perfect record, 29 wins with no losses. He stands 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing in at 155 pounds. Fighting out of Dagestan, Russia. Presenting the reigning, defending, undisputed UFC lightweight champion of the world, Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov.”
Courtesy: UFC - Khabib Nurmagomedov's gloves placed on the mat, following his retirement speech.
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