UFC: Khabib Numagomedov says he doesn’t need money fights and has ‘nothing to show people’ after retiring
- ‘I defended my title three times. I won the biggest fight in UFC history. What else? Only money fights,’ says former lightweight champ
- ‘I’m gonna make money. I’m gonna enjoy my life. I have kids. And I have my brothers, they’re still fighting, and I’m going to support them’
The undefeated former UFC lightweight champion (29-0) hung up his gloves in a shock announcement after submitting Justin Gaethje last October, but the promotion’s president Dana White has since tried to convince him to come back for one more fight.
Nurmagomedov insisted he never contemplated returning, though. “No. Dana called this official [this week]. But I retired five, six months ago. It’s very funny,” he told ESPN at the Apex facility, where he watched Saturday night’s UFC Vegas 22 card cageside with White.
“It’s very hard when you have power, you’re the best in the world, you’re famous, you have money, and you say no to these things. People may never understand me. Everybody has their views, and [because of] my relationship with my mother, I felt I had to stop fighting.
“I’m the world champion. I’m the No 1 pound-for-pound fighter. I defended my title three times. I won the biggest fight in UFC history. What else? Only money fights. But I don’t need money fights.
“I‘m very happy about my journey. Right now, I don’t have anything to show people. I did everything in this sport. Two days ago when I talked to Dana, I told him everything about how I feel, and he said he is going to support me.”
“The Eagle” said he has business projects and his coaching duties to keep him busy, with his cousin Abubakar Nurmagomedov (15-3-1) fighting Jared Gooden (17-5) at UFC 260 next weekend.
“I’m gonna make money,” he said. “I’m gonna enjoy my life. I have kids. And I have my brothers, they’re still fighting, and I’m going to support them. ”
Asked on what his legacy in the sport will be, the Russian said “honestly, I don’t know”.
“This is the people’s decision,” he added. “My job was to smash my opponents, and I did this perfectly. Nobody was close. I defended my title three times. This is the people’s decision.”
