Khabib Nurmagomedov pays heartfelt tribute to his coach after UFC 254 retirement 

At UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov competed in the final fight of his iconic Mixed Martial Arts career, as The Eagle submitted interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje and immediately announced his retirement from the sport.

Over the years, Khabib Nurmagomedov has developed a strong bond with his coach Javier Mendez, who has trained The Eagle at the American Kickboxing Academy. Taking it to Instagram, the newly crowned pound-for-pound #1 ranked fighter shared a heartfelt post in honor of coach Javier.

In his latest Instagram post, Khabib Nurmagomedov wrote that his connection with coach Javier Mendez will be forever fixed in his heart. The Eagle also added that his coach has always been a great inspiration for him, ever since Nurmagomedov's initial days at AKA.

Here is what Khabib Nurmagomedov posted on Instagram:

Javier Mendez himself also shared a tribute post for Khabib, as the former wrote that Nurmagomedov came into his life forever in 2012 and the relationship between a fighter and a coach can only be understood between the two. Whereas, love, respect, and loyalty can be understood by the whole world.

What could be next in store for Khabib Nurmagomedov?

While many fighters in the UFC's lightweight division believe that Khabib Nuramgomedov is bound to make his return to the sport, The Eagle himself remains determined about his retirement. Ending his career with a record of 29-0, many fans believe that Khabib Nurmagomedov could've stuck around for one final fight, possibly against the legendary Georges St-Pierre. However, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Nurmagomedov is likely to pursue a career in coaching from here onwards and could be helping out Javier Mendez and the other fighters train at AKA. Khabib has made it clear that his goal is to help fellow teammate Islam Makhachev, whom Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov predicted to be champion eventually down the road.