“It Would Fall Apart” – Eagle FC President Sends Worrying Update to Khabib as Retirement Affects the Promotion

Published 01/30/2023, 7:31 AM EST

After the initial shock that came from Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s decision to retire from MMA eventually cooled down, his cousin and president of Eagle FC Shamil Zavurov has now come out giving a detailed explanation of what led ‘The Eagle’ to that decision. While talking about how Nurmagomedov wanted to devote more time to his family, Zavurov downplayed the buzz generated by the media surrounding the news. In the interview with ‘Sambo Says’, the 38-year-old also revealed how a busy schedule prevented Nurmagomedov from spending time with his family and how he went around communicating his desire to do so with his teammates. The Eagle FC President also talked about the former Lightweight champ’s role in their MMA promotion while also highlighting Nurmagomedov’s importance for its survival.

Shamil Zavurov on why Khabib Nurmagomedov decided to stay away from MMA

The 38-year-old started the interview by calling out the media right off the bat. As per Zavurov, the news was completely blown out of proportion by the media, raising many unnecessary questions.

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As he continued he pointed out Nurmagomedov’s commitment to the team, indicating how it also meant very less time at home for ‘The Eagle’: “Khabib simply gathered the guys and explained to them that in the past year, he had not missed one competition,” Zavurov then continues to how it led Nurmagomedov to realize he needed some time off.

“So he took a look at the situation, weighed it out, and realized that in the past year, he was only home 2-3 months. All the other time he was traveling to competitions, matches, training.”

Zavurov also mentions how Nurmagomedov explained he needed more time with his family, also stating that the Lightweight champion was actually not completely abandoning MMA.

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Thus, Nurmagomedov explained to his team that he would be spending more time with his family.

Shamil Zavurov on the future of Eagle FC without Nurmagomedov

With the news of retirement, naturally, questions concerning Eagle FC have been thrown around by fans. Since the promotion’s purchase by the Dagestani in 2020, Nurmagomedov has been the face of the brand, even bringing in former UFC fighters Kevin Lee and Diego Sanchez under its wing. Now in the interview, Zavurov also talked about how the former Lightweight Champion’s absence could be a challenge for the company.

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“We understand that if Khabib leaves, the organization will fall apart tomorrow. Eagle FC depends on Khabib. So Eagle FC will go on. We will push it forward,” Zavurov mentioned, pointing out the young athletes involved with Eagle FC.

He then continued to reiterate Nurmagomedov’s importance but also understood he had to be thoughtful about his role.“So we’ll have to tread carefully in how much we ask of him. Free him up a little. Make sure not to overload him and for myself as president not to always call him over to every event. But Eagle FC is a promotion. It would be difficult without Khabib. Not even difficult … it would fall apart. So we asked him to stay with us for now.”

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This interview by Zavurov ended up giving a lot of insight to fans of Khabib Nurmagomedov about his decision to retire. It also shuts down multiple rumors that were floating around regarding Eagle FC and Nurmagomedov’s teammates. As for the former champ, he clearly deserves a long break considering the number of fights he has been cornering and traveling to.

Watch This Story: End of Khabib’s Takeover in MMA!

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Written by:

Pragjyoti is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. He is extremely passionate about MMA and has a good understanding of the sport and its technicalities. Having trained in the sport along with a passion for journalism, it has helped him develop a keen interest in the UFC and anything related to the promotion.

Edited by:

Rohini Kottu

“It Would Fall Apart” – Eagle FC President Sends Worrying Update to Khabib as Retirement Affects the Promotion

Shamil Zavurov on why Khabib Nurmagomedov decided to stay away from MMA

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Shamil Zavurov on the future of Eagle FC without Nurmagomedov