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UFC lightweight Paul Felder has said that he isn't sure if Khabib Nurmagomedov is actually retired. However, he claims he also wouldn't be surprised if the Russian never returns to the Octagon again.
In this week's episode of "The Bash" MMA podcast, Paul Felder claimed that he isn't sure whether Khabib Nurmagomedov is completely done with MMA. He did note that he believes the undefeated and undisputed lightweight champion actually wants to stay retired though.
"I never really am sure about someone being completely done but I think he [Khabib] actually wants to stay retired. I think he just wants to be at peace, finally. We're talking about a guy who's constantly under the most pressure, ever. He is a dominant, undefeated champion who has the whole country [Russia] following every move he makes so I wouldn't be surprised if he does walk away."
Paul Felder could be in the mix for a lightweight title shot
Paul Felder said that if Nurmagomedov does walk away, the title scenario in the lightweight division would become very interesting in the coming days.
Felder explained that the 155lbs division is full of top-contenders who are equally matched. He predicted that there will be a lot of entertaining fights, as well as finishes, at the weight class soon.
Despite recently losing to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC Vegas 14, “The Irish Dragon” believes he will be in the mix for a future title shot if he manages to pick up a couple of impressive wins.
"I think the lightweight division will be on fire in the next few years if he is indeed gone because you've got a lot of guys that can beat each other and then rematch and it might go completely the other way. The division has got dark horses like myself, who, on any given night, you get a couple of wins in a row and you're right there in the mix. There's knockouts coming up, there's fight of the nights coming up, and there will definitely be a lot of close fights."
Paul Felder is currently ranked at #8 in the UFC lightweight rankings. The 35-year-old has a 17-6 career record and is 9-6 inside the Octagon. Felder also works as a color analyst for the promotion.
