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Former UFC heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier believes there is no chance of Khabib Nurmagomedov competing inside the Octagon in 2020. Daniel Cormier is even unsure if the UFC lightweight champion will ever fight again.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was slated to fight Justin Gaethje at UFC 253 on September 19 but the unfortunate demise of his father due to complications of COVID-19 has thrown the fight in a state of limbo. Khabib Nurmagomedov has been mourning his father's death and while his manager Ali Abdelaziz recently claimed that we will see the undefeated champ back in action this year, many doubt if he will fight again.
Daniel Cormier knows how close Khabib and Abdulmanap were, so he doesn’t believe that Khabib will fight this year. On the DC & Helwani show, Daniel Cormier said that Khabib will have to be a very strong person to ever step foot in the cage again.
“I don’t think he’s fighting this year, honestly. And it’s going to take a lot of strength from a very strong man for Khabib to be back in the Octagon, ever, I think. I just know what Abdulmanap meant to him, I know that this was their journey together. I hope he fights, but I don’t know. Like I said, he’s going to have to muster up a lot of strength for an already strong person to go out there and do it. And if he does, I just don’t know how long he’ll be around. Maybe (Khabib Nurmagomedov) fights and honors his father with another massive and unbelievable performance. But, I look back at his fight in September and when he won, the way his dad reacted it almost like you saw the video when his dad reacts after he won against Dustin Poirier, and it was almost like his spirit was filled with joy watching his kid do that. I’m just happy they got to share that together.”
Our thoughts and condolences lie with the Nurmagomedov family in this time of grief.
