On October 24, the MMA world was stunned. After delivering a career-best performance against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, Khabib Nurmagomedov decided it was time to end his legendary run. This was also the first time ‘The Eagle’ fought without his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Who had sadly passed away earlier that year. With grief, the undefeated 29-0 champion announced, “Today, I want to say this was my last fight. Ain’t no way I’m coming here without my father.” As ‘The Eagle’ laid down his gloves, fans couldn’t help but wonder–how far could his career have gone if he never walked away?  

Along with the fans, this question also bothered Dana White. In a 2022 GQ interview, the UFC CEO admitted, “You know, who knows what he could accomplish, but he retired too early.” And honestly, that perfectly sums up how the MMA world views Khabib’s retirement. ‘The Eagle’ arguably stepped away in his prime and could have achieved even more. Alright, let’s dive into the what-ifs and imagine how the Dagestani champ’s journey could have unfolded if he hadn’t stepped away from the game.  

Is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s road to 30-0 destined to cross Conor McGregor?

If Khabib hadn’t retired at 29-0, he most certainly would’ve chased the legendary 30-0 milestone. That set the stage for a blockbuster matchup after ‘The Eagle’ dominated Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. And who better than his bitter rival, Conor McGregor? The UFC CEO really went to bat for that rematch, especially considering their first showdown raked in a jaw-dropping 2.4 million PPV buys. The lightweight scene back then really set the stage for a fight like that to happen.

Even after Khabib announced his retirement, the UFC kept him as champion for months. Why? Because the winner of Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 was expected to challenge the Dagestani king. Dana White even envisioned a rematch of UFC 229, telling Sky Sports, “If Conor should win in spectacular fashion, it would even be hard to say that he doesn’t deserve the shot.” But that dream was crushed by ‘The Diamond’.  

Poirier just made history as the first fighter to knock out McGregor in the Etihad Arena! Locking down his claim as the true No.1 challenger. Instead of going after the lightweight title, ‘The Diamond’ chose to throw down in a trilogy with the Irishman at UFC 267. In the meantime, Khabib is still sticking to his retirement, and the lightweight title scene is definitely shifting gears. At UFC 269, Charles Oliveira flatlined Michael Chandler to become the new 155 lbs king. However, it was clear that if McGregor won that night, he would’ve faced Nurmagomedov for the belt.

‘The Notorious One’ would’ve strung together two straight wins, which would’ve set up the perfect moment to call out his greatest rival in front of a packed Abu Dhabi crowd. That might have been enough to push Nurmagomedov toward a rematch. On top of that, the UFC CEO would no doubt have put a massive offer on the table to create what he deemed “the biggest fight in UFC history.” So yes, the undefeated phenom’s path to 30-0 could very well have run through McGregor. If not, there was always another option waiting.

If the now 36-year-old Khabib had remained lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira would’ve been pushed as the surging contender in a classic legend vs. rising star matchup. But what’s the most probable result here? Khabib takes down either the Irishman or the Brazilian and then sets his sights on double-champ status at welterweight.

Could ‘The Eagle’ have captured another belt at welterweight?  

Now, we’re diving into Khabib’s journey past that legendary 30-0 mark! Honestly, every UFC enthusiast has pondered if ‘The Eagle’ had what it takes to snag that double champion title. But moving up to welterweight would’ve thrown a whole new set of challenges into the mix. Even so, the thought of the undefeated superstar stepping into the Octagon at 170 lbs has fans buzzing about a thrilling dream matchup that the promotion just couldn’t pull off.

Around that time, Kamaru Usman was building his dominant reign over the welterweight division. He defended the title against Colby Covington, Jorge Masvidal, and Gilbert Burns, cementing his status as one of the sport’s best. So, a showdown with ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ would’ve been the perfect way to see if the Dagestani legend could surpass all expectations. And to be honest, Usman would’ve been a much bigger mountain to climb than a Poirier or Gaethje.  

It’s true that Khabib Nurmagomedov had to cut a significant amount of weight to make the lightweight limit. In a welterweight clash, however, the size advantage would clearly favor his opponent. Usman stood taller, carried more natural weight, and had a two-inch reach advantage. But things get intriguing when skill sets are compared. ‘The Eagle’ has built his legacy on relentless, pressure-heavy grappling, while the Nigerian hadn’t faced many elite wrestlers during his reign other than Colby Covington, who’s miles behind ‘The Eagle’ in wrestling.

With a solid game plan, the undefeated Russian could’ve definitely found success against the cage. And who knows? Maybe a rear-naked choke finish was on the radar as well. So, let’s imagine Khabib submitting Usman to become a double champ while staying undefeated. What then? Is that the end of his run? Not quite, because that victory would’ve sparked a very tough debate. 

Would Khabib topple Anderson Silva, GSP, and Jon Jones in the GOAT debate?   

Whenever the debate about the UFC’s greatest of all time comes up, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s name is often mentioned alongside Jon Jones, Anderson Silva, and Georges St-Pierre. The arguable Mount Rushmore of MMA. But things get even more interesting if we follow up on the earlier scenario of Khabib capturing double-champ status. At that point, the discussion about who truly deserves the GOAT crown in MMA takes on a whole new dimension.

‘The Eagle’ having an undefeated record, is often considered the deciding point of his entering the conversation. Now, add a 31-0 record and another belt as well! That definitely makes the argument even more sound to surpass anyone’s legacy. But, when we the overall scenario, things get a little bit tricky. And the argument again comes around Khabib and other fighters reign in their division.  

Anderson Silva still holds the record for the longest winning streak in UFC history at 16, along with 10 successful middleweight title defenses during his reign. Following him, Georges St-Pierre also defended the welterweight crown 10 times before returning in 2017 to capture the middleweight belt against Michael Bisping. And then, of course, there’s Dana White’s favorite! Jon Jones. The former two-division champ racked up eight title defenses before his suspension, and after returning, added three more following his win over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232, and then also won the heavyweight belt as well. 

So, the real differentiating factor b