Khabib Nurmagomedov has said his competitive “fire” began to fade as his UFC career reached its conclusion.
Khabib retired undefeated as lightweight champion in 2020, moments after retaining his title with a submission win against Justin Gaethje.
The bout marked the Russian’s third straight successful defence of the belt he won in 2018, all three of those wins coming via submission. Khabib first retained the lightweight gold against former champion Conor McGregor, before beating Dustin Poirier and Gaethje – both of whom entered their respective fights with the “Eagle” as interim champion.
Khabib’s father and head coach Abdulmanap died three months before his son’s final fight, with that moment playing a vital role in Khabib’s retirement at the age of 31.
But there was more to the decision to retire, Khabib told the Full Send podcast.
“For this sport, you have to be hungry,” he said. “If you’re not hungry, if you don’t want really this, you have to finish.
“For example, the last couple years, I really didn’t enjoy this. Even when I fought with Conor, it was a very, like, principle fight for me. Like, I really want to fight with this guy.
“Next day, after this, I really didn’t enjoy this. When I [began my career], I really wanted to fight, fight, fight – then fight for the title.
“I win the title, my fire begins to go down.”
After retaining the belt against bitter rival McGregor in 2018, Khabib served a nine-month suspension for inciting a post-fight brawl.
“All this year [that I was suspended], I kept training, and I’m like: ‘What I’m gonna do next? I’m gonna fight with who?’” Khabib said.
“Then they make the interim title [fight]: Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway. I remember they were fighting and I was waiting for my opponent.
“Okay, Dustin Poirier beat this guy. I [felt] nothing inside. ‘Okay, I’m gonna fight with you.’ It was the first time my father was going to corner me in my UFC career, and this one gave me little bit more motivation.
“[But in] this sport, if you don’t feel fire, you have to stop.”
Khabib has now ventured into promotion with his Eagle Fighting Championship.
For a brief period the Russian was linked to a comeback fight against either McGregor or former welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
St-Pierre is widely considered to be the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, though many fans and pundits rank Khabib in that position.
