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Khabib Nurmagomedov has paid tribute to UFC president Dana White and longtime manager Ali Abdelaziz.
Taking to Instagram, ‘The Eagle’ thanked White and Abdelaziz for helping him over the past several years. Khabib Nurmagomedov – an MMA legend and a former UFC lightweight champion – posted a photo of himself alongside White and Abdelaziz. Nurmagomedov attached a statement, alongside the photo, which read as follows:
“It’s hard to say thanks to the people, who been helping you for long period of time. Thank you so much @danawhite and @aliabdelaziz000”
Nurmagomedov made his professional MMA debut in 2008 and started competing in the UFC in 2012. The Dagestan native eventually captured the UFC lightweight title and beat several notable fighters such as Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje inside the octagon.
He retired from the sport of MMA with an impressive record of 29 wins and zero losses. His final MMA fight was a second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020. He later revealed that after his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed away, his mother didn’t want him to continue his fighting career.
As a result, ‘The Eagle’ promised his mother that he’d retire after the Gaethje bout. Khabib Nurmagomedov kept his word and bid adieu to his career as a professional MMA fighter.
While he’s retired from MMA and has consistently shot down rumors of a potential return, many believe that Nurmagomedov could compete in a grappling-only contest in the near future. The combat sports world has lately been rife with rumors that Nurmagomedov could compete in a grappling match against fellow MMA legend Georges St-Pierre.
Khabib Nurmagomedov on seeking Dana White’s guidance as a fight promoter
Khabib Nurmagomedov has been working as a part-time coach at the AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) gym in San Jose and in his native Dagestan. Nurmagomedov helps his friends and teammates train for their MMA fights. He also owns and runs the Eagle FC MMA promotion.
On that note, ‘The Eagle’ spoke to BroBible last month and revealed that he’ll be meeting UFC president Dana White very soon. Nurmagomedov suggested that White is the best fight promoter. The MMA great emphasized that he intends to improve himself as a fight promoter by seeking guidance from White. Nurmagomedov said:
“Nothing [about promoting is] easy, honestly. He’s right, Dana White, you know. I’m going to have meeting next month in Vegas with him. I’m going to talk with him a lot about all this kind of stuff. I’m just beginning. How many years he have experience? He’s the best in the game, and it’s a big honor for me to learn from him.”
Watch Nurmagomedov talk about Dana White and more in the video below:
