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Bruce Buffer, the veteran voice of the octagon believes that retired UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov needs an opponent that will motivate him to train and make the walk to the octagon once again.
During a February 20 interview with Russian sports outlet RT Sport MMA, the famed UFC announcer shared his thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov's potential comeback to the world of competition and correlated the Eagle's situation with another MMA great, Georges St-Pierre.
"I think Khabib is the type of fighter that needs to be lifted. He needs an opponent that's gonna lift him... Georges St-Pierre is another fighter who needs to be lifted. There's points in their career where they have so much money... So they need motivation right? Are they as hungry as they used to be? probably not. Are they fighters as they always are in their heart? Yes they are. So give me the motivation so that the fighter comes out and I can train and do what I am supposed to do and be who I am, Khabib Nurmagomedov," Bruce Buffer said.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's actions since announcing his retirement in October 2020 resonate with Buffer's assessment of his situation. The Dagestan native is one of the highest-paid stars in MMA history who has been dominant in each one of his 29 wins, winning almost all the rounds and all the exchanges in those rounds.
To put in perspective, while talking about Khabib Nurmagomedov's vulnerabilities that his opponents can potentially exploit, most of the experts in MMA community have founded their arguments on just two punches that Michael Johnson and Dustin Poirier landed on Khabib in their respective fights! The fact that none of the fighters in UFC's deepest division have been able to put Khabib in challenging situations that are worth mentioning helps assess the reasons behind the Eagle's lack of competitive interest.
Coach Zahabi shares similar thoughts on Khabib's legacy opponent Georges St-Pierre
In a strange happenstance, former two-division UFC champion Georges St-Pierre's head coach Firas Zahabi shared thoughts about GSP's return that were in perfect sync with Bruce Buffer's remarks on Khabib.
While answering a fan's question on the recent issue of Ask me anything podcast, the famed coach speculated that a mega fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov could be the only think that will entice his pupil to grace the UFC octagon again.
"If GSP comes back, it will probably be for a mega fight with Khabib. I think that will be the bigger prospect. GSP doesn't want to hold the title and defend it. He's knocking on 40. He'll come back for something crazy big and exciting but not to be a champion who has to fight every three months. I think he's just past his days. He's living a new kind of lifestyle now. His life's going on. He's not gonna stop at everything and start becoming. He's not gonna go back to that military lifestyle that he used to live for fifteen years," Firas Zahabi said.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's late father wanted his son to fight GSP and retire, and Khabib has expressed the same desire time and again. Given the fact that both Khabib and GSP are surrounded by similar circumstances, should the UFC try and book the mega fight?
Also Read: What is Bruce Buffer's Salary?
