‘He and I Are Gonna Go to Dinner and Talk’- Dana White Hasn’t Moved On From Khabib Nurmagomedov Yet

Published 02/12/2021, 8:00 AM EST

UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, announced retirement after successfully retaining his throne at Fight Island. Nurmagomedov lost his father and biggest mentor Abdulmanap in 2020 and it was too big a tragedy for him to endure. Hence, he doesn’t plan on returning to fighting again due to family commitments.

But, UFC President Dana White doesn’t intend to move on from ‘The Eagle’ as he still believes the Dagestani is the lightweight champion. He wants to lure the undefeated Russian back to the Octagon. In his recent interview with Complex, White further empowered those claims.

“Khabib beat Conor. Khabib destroyed Dustin. Khabib is the man. He’s the champ, he’s the guy. If you look at the guys that deserve to be there it’s whoever’s gonna win out of the top-5. You’ve got Poirier, Gaethje, Oliveira, Chandler, and you still have Tony Ferguson and Conor in the mix too,” Dana White said.

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When asked if the company has moved on from Nurmagomedov as being the champion, White said, “No. We have not, Khabib is the champion. Khabib’s coming to Vegas. He and I are gonna go to dinner and talk and see what’s next.”

It’s true that the presence of ‘The Eagle’ makes the landscape of the lightweight division much more exciting. Despite being 29-o and passing all tests in his professional career with flying colors, there are enticing fights on hand for the Russian to have.

Will Khabib Nurmagomedov fight again?

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Nurmagomedov is a man of his words. So, one might assume the chances of seeing the Russian back in the Octagon anytime soon are really slim. But, his father Abdulmanap’s dream was to see his son reach 30-0. He even had a choice opponent in mind for that feat. It was none other than legendary Canadian superstar Georges ‘Rush‘ St-Pierre.

But at 39, the chances of St-Pierre ever competing again are slim to none. And as White mentioned earlier, ‘The Eagle‘ has taken out almost every contender in the lightweight division bar some. So, we will have to wait and see what he decides about his future.

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Should Dana White move on from Nurmagomedov now? Or will the Russian compete again?

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Written by:

Apratim Banerjee is an MMA author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters.

‘He and I Are Gonna Go to Dinner and Talk’- Dana White Hasn’t Moved On From Khabib Nurmagomedov Yet

Will Khabib Nurmagomedov fight again?

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