UFC 254: Khabib Nurmagomedov retires after choking out Justin Gaethje – ‘no way I’m gonna fight without father’
- UFC lightweight champ says he’s walking away from MMA after going 29-0 on Fight Island with second-round submission win
- ‘I promised my mother this is gonna be my last fight,’ says emotional Khabib after death of father and coach Abdulmanap in July
First Khabib Nurmagomedov completely owned the UFC Octagon once again. Then he walked away from it for good.
The 32-year-old “Eagle” (29-0) choked out Justin Gaethje (22-3) in the second round of an utterly dominant display on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, to confirm himself as the undisputed lightweight champ in Saturday night’s UFC 254 main event.
He broke down in tears for minutes with his American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez and the rest of his team. The emotion of what he had been carrying into the fight poured out of him following the death of his father and coach Abdulmanap, aged 57, in July from complications caused by contracting the coronavirus, a loss felt dearly across the whole of the Dagestan MMA community.
As UFC president Dana White wrapped the belt around Nurmagomedov’s waist, we got to see that famous celebration one last time, as he knelt in prayer on the canvas. Then came the shock announcement.
“I want to say Alhamdulillah, god gives me everything,” Nurmagomedov told commentator Jon Anik, as he began his post-fight interview struggling to remove his gloves – possibly the first time we’ve ever seen him find difficulty with something in the Octagon. It soon became apparent why he was so keen to remove them, as he wanted to lay them down.
Thank you for these guys with me, my father more than 10 years, all my team, AKA with coach Jav [Mendez]. DC [Daniel Cormier], I love you brother. I want to say it was my last fight, and no way I’m gonna come here without my father.
