It's been almost five years since Khabib Nurmagomedov shockingly retired from professional fighting.
Nurmagomedov is making headlines for being fired from an airline, but it's important not to forget his legacy as one of the greatest martial arts athletes ever. As Islam Makhachev prepares to potentially break Nurmagomedov's lightweight title defense record at UFC 311, it's worth revisiting Nurmagomedov's last title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
This fight was one of the most pivotal moments in Nurmagomedov's career; he was not only dealing with Gaethje, but also the grief of losing his father.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Khabib Nurmagomedov's tightrope performance against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254
UFC 254 took place during MMA's peak COVID-era season, where fighters battled it out against the backdrop of the empty APEX Arena. Gaethje earned his shot at Nurmagomedov by snapping Tony Ferguson's 12-fight winning streak at UFC 249 – one of the biggest beatdowns in UFC history.
Gaethje was expected to be an all-around threat, a leg-kicking, powerful golem with a decent background in wrestling. He certainly took the action to Nurmagomedov, chopping away at his lead leg and flying wildly with ferocious hooks that left Nurmagomedov in danger.
'The Eagle' maintained his patented pressure and kept Gaethje on the back foot. It was a tightrope fight with each fighter landing shots that lesser men would finish. The first round culminated in Nurmagomedov taking Gaethje down and nearly securing an arm bar. The buzzer sounded to save Gaethje, but the blueprint for Nurmagomedov was laid in the second round.
After Gaethje half-kicked a leg kick, Nurmagomedov reached down and grabbed his leg, fired a double and spun around to secure Gaethje's back. Nurmagomedov found Mount and applied a triangle choke to knock Gaethje unconscious.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement took everyone by surprise
As Bruce Buffer read the fight result, Nurmagomedov took off his gloves. In his emotional post-fight speech, Nurmagomedov noted that he had promised his mother that this would be his last fight.
“This was my last fight,” Nurmagomedov said. 'There's no way I'm coming here without my father. . . . When the UFC called me about Justin, I spoke to my mother. . . . I promised her this would be my last fight. And when I give my word, I must follow through.”
“[…] Make sure you have a good relationship with your parents,” Nurmagomedov said. “Because something will happen one day, you never know what will happen tomorrow. . . . Today is my last fight here in the UFC. It was my father's dream [to be UFC champion and pound-for-pound No. 1]”
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