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Khabib Nurmagomedov is still in Russia where he has already resumed training following the tragic passing of his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov earlier this month.
It seems as though that's motivated Khabib Nurmagomedov to return sooner than expected, as he will be headlining UFC 254, where he will be unifying the Lightweight Championship against Interim Champion Justin Gaethje.
Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed on social media that he's set to reunite with Javier Mendes in September. The indication seems to be that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be returning to the USA.
However, Dana White admitted that there's a high chance that UFC 254 will be on Fight Island.
Doubt on Khabib Nurmagomedov's future
Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager Ali Abdelaziz stated that the Russian is likely to only fight twice before retiring from MMA. One can't blame him, especially after his father's passing.
Ultimately, nothing is certain in UFC but Abdelaziz's implication was that the Justin Gaethje fight is one of those two fights. If you were to ask Khabib Nurmagomedov, his most-likely pick would be a fight against Georges St-Pierre and after that, Tony Ferguson.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was supposed to fight Tony Ferguson this April 18th but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the entire PPV to be canceled and the fifth cancelation of the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Tony Ferguson bout.
It's all up to Khabib Nurmagomedov and when he feels he's done enough to establish his legacy. There's little doubt that Khabib Nurmagomedov is the greatest Lightweight Champion of all time, especially in a period that many can consider the "Golden Era" for the Lightweight division.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has also established himself as the second-biggest PPV draw in the UFC. It's going to be a hard void to fill once he leaves. We're living in an incredible era of the Lightweight division and Khabib Nurmagomedov will look to make another mark by defeating Justin Gaethje.
