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Speculation about Khabib Nurmagomedov's potential return to the sport continues to trail him like a shadow, four years after his retirement.
After revealing that the UFC wanted him to compete on their much anticipated UFC 300 card in April, the former champion was quoted saying that he told his manager that he should never call 'The Eagle' if he planned on offering him a fight.
Following his father's passing in 2020, Nurmagomedov retired from the sport and vowed to his mother to never compete again. But his esteem and status as an all-time great in MMA has continued to add fuel to the fire of a potential return, despite his own certainty that he will not fight again.
A former teammate of the undefeated fighter, Josh Thomson, recently shared his thoughts on Nurmagomedov's possible return during an episode of the Weighin' In Podcast. He said this:
"There's not enough money in the world for him to do it. That should tell you, this is not about money, you guys. Look, he's got plenty of money... The opportunities he's earned and the people who support him, they've done whatever they could to help make him successful."
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov's former teammate discuss his return below (1:10):
Khabib Nurmagomedov is not a fan of Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway set for UFC 300
UFC 300 is set to be one of the promotion's biggest-ever events, and the fight card plays host to a plethora of exciting matchups.
The event features three title fights, with Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill as the main event and Weili Zhang vs. Yan Xiaonan as the co-main event. The third title fight is set to be a BMF title clash between Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway at 155 pounds.
The BMF clash is arguably the most anticipated matchup on the card, but Khabib Nurmagomedov recently shared his displeasure with the fight. 'The Eagle' pointed to the division's champion, Islam Makhachev, being left in limbo by the clash.
He said this:
"I don't understand why the UFC made this fight. Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway, it makes no sense... It makes no sense why they don't give Islam [a fight with] Justin Gaethje... I don't understand what the UFC have planned."
See Khabib Nurmagomedov's full quote below:
