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#2. Retired in the prime of his UFC career
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired while he was in the prime of his career. He would still be considered in his prime, at age 33, if he returned to the octagon. In doing so, it leaves many questions of what more he could have accomplished if he continued fighting.
When he retired, there were also many lightweights ascending the rankings. The promotion also made an exciting addition by signing former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler once he hit the free agent market.
The opponents that 'The Eagle' could have matched up with could have widened the gap between himself and the rest of the division.
Another bout that would have been inevitable was one against Charles Oliveira. Since Nurmagomedov retired, 'Do Bronx' has taken over the division and extended his winning streak to 11 straight wins. If he continues to have success, he could make it increasingly difficult to consider 'The Eagle' on a Mount Rushmore list.
#1. Never moved up a division in the UFC
One knock that some have on Nurmagomedov's legacy is that he never moved up in weight in the UFC. He was a lightweight throughout his tenure with the promotion and never challenged himself at 170lbs.
He was a fighter who cut a significant amount of weight to make 155lbs. And so, it would have been interesting to see him compete at a more natural weight.
Nurmagomedov always expressed his desire to fight Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre, but that fight never came to fruition. Although the fight didn't materialize, he still could have taken a fight against another top welterweight.
From a stylistic perspective, fighters like Colby Covington, Belal Muhammad, or Gilbert Burns would have been logical opponents.
Hall of Famers like St-Pierre and Anderson Silva moved up a weight class and challenged themselves, which is why their legacies are viewed differently. Perhaps if 'The Eagle' moved up or challenged the welterweight champion, he'd undoubtedly be considered for the promotion's Mount Rushmore.
