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Khabib Nurmagomedov Tells Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin to Retire Soon: ‘When You’re over 35, You Should Not Do Such a Brutal Sport’

Published 06/21/2021, 6:05 AM EDT

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Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t want Gennady Golovkin to continue his boxing career. Nurmagomedov (32), who is seven years younger than Golovkin, has already retired from MMA. Meanwhile, ‘GGG’ is still active and has the IBF middleweight championship on his shoulder.

While Golovkin appears to be hunting for more competition, ‘The Eagle’ has passed on some advice to his fellow combat superstar. Nurmagomedov pinpointed GGG’s age and clarified how it’s dangerous to continue his career at this stage.

Speaking at the Eagle MMA FC press conference, Khabib Nurmagomedov said, “My opinion… He was in the Olympic games final back in 2004, correct? It’s 2021 now. Almost 20 years have passed. And he is 37 years old, right? 37 or 38, if I am not mistaken. Well, he could have one more fight, make some money to ensure a better life after retirement and leave. That’s what I would advise.”

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“When you are over 35, you should not do such a brutal sport, especially at lighter weight classes. He [Golovkin] fights at 165 pounds or 170 pounds, around that weight… One or two more fights and he should retire.”

Golovkin might not take the road to retirement right away. The Kazakh legend recently returned to action in December 2020 and defended his IBF belt against Kamil Szeremeta. That said, he might have the biggest challenges of his career awaiting. From this point, either ‘GGG’ will have to accept Khabib Nurmagomedov’s advice or go against the other champions of his division.

Will Khabib Nurmagomedov influence Gennady Golovkin’s mind?

There’s no denying that the ex-UFC champion has put some valid pointers to the display regarding Golovkin’s career. However, activity can also be a good option for ‘GGG’ at this stage. The middleweight division has several A-listers with the likes of Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, and many others. Moreover, all these champions have desired to face ‘GGG’ in the future.

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41-1-1 as a pro, Golovkin is still a top-tier name and has the tools to overpower everyone. However, losses can doom him down to the clutch of criticism. As Canelo Alvarez is the only one to have walked out unbeaten against ‘GGG’, a few more boxers will look to do the same and put a dent on Gennady Golovkin’s stellar legacy. Hence, the world champion pugilist will have to craft his upcoming journey with sheer smartness.

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Written by:

Raj Sarkar

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A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
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