Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement after fighting against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in 2020. An emotional Nurmagomedov decided that this would be his last fight after the untimely loss of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Fans felt dejected as the sport’s biggest superstar chose retirement at the peak of his powers. 

Javier Mendez, long-time coach of Nurmagomedov, recently took to YouTube to give us an insight into why ” The Eagle” retired so early. While many believed it was an emotional decision, Mendez felt it was his age. Let us delve into the video to discover what the superstar coach says about Nurmagomedov. 

Javier Mendez feels that losing his speed was the reason Khabib Nurmagomedov decided to retire

Nurmagomedov always competed in the Lightweight division, and his biggest asset was his speed across the turf. Boasting a record of 29-0 in the UFC, Nurmagomedov showed no sign of slowing down. In his last fight against Gaethje, the 35-year-old dominated it and ended it via submission in Round 2. 

However, in his interview on YouTube, Javier Mendez said: “‘ Like I told you, one of the things that goes when you get older is speed. And for light guys like that, they need that speed. It’s getting tougher man. See the bigger guys they have power and the last thing that goes is power. So you have speed too but but power is a big thing for mostly everybody. But everybody starts loosing speed is what I am saying. You know 35 on up they start slowing down. Some may peak later, you know, but most 35 -36 hit their peak, and then they start declining, and then they may hold on a little but, they are not the same anymore. ‘  

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The fight with Gaethje in UFC 254 wasn’t the last we’d see of the Eagle on fight night. Nurmagomedov then switched to coaching and took Islam Makhacev under his wing. In a recent interview, Mendez highlighted that Makhachev was the only one who won rounds against Nurmagomedov. Will Makhachev be able to outshine Nurmagomedov?

Is Islam Makhachev the next big thing in the UFC? 

Makhachev is the current Lightweight champion and is dominating his division. He defended his title against Alexander Volkanovksi at UFC 294. The Dagestani fighter showed his class and ended his fight via knockout in round one. Makhachev was previously scheduled to face Charles Oliveira. However, the fight did not materialize after the Brazilian suffered an injury in training. 

Read More:  Dana White Put on Alert by Khabib’s Cousin Umar Nurmagomedov With Bold Message

The 32-year-old is willing to return to the Octagon in 2024 and wants to fight thrice in a year. “The Eagle,” currently retired from coaching, will hope Makhachev defends his title against formidable opponents. Makhachev also showed his willingness to move to the Welterweight division recently. Will Makhachev move to the Welterweight division next? Let us know in the comments below. 

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