What a weekend Khabib Nurmagomedov just had! His proteges, Amru Magmedov and Usman Nurmagomedov, won big at the PFL. And if that wasn’t enough, the man who tapped Conor McGregor out at UFC 229 received high praise from UFC legend Don Frye!

While ‘The Notorious’ pulled off some amazing achievements in his heyday, there were a couple of fighters who gave him tough times in the Octagon. But Frye is particularly a fan of Khabib Nurmagomedov, one who outclassed the Irishman on all fronts. In a candid conversation about the Dagestani ex-champ being McGregor’s match, the UFC 8 tournament winner praised ‘The Eagle’ for holding his ground as a dominant champion. After ‘The Eagle’ ran through the Irish-star and every contender put in front of him, Frye labeled him a “bulletproof” fighter who walked away from the sport as champion. 

Don Frye shows admiration for Conor McGregor’s bitter rival, Khabib Nurmagomedov

“Khabib was everybody’s match. Nobody was gonna beat that guy. He was bulletproof… ten feet tall and bulletproof,” Don Frye said on his YouTube channel in an interview with True Authentics.

The UFC legend rightly praised the Dagestani icon for beating McGregor at the UFC’s most successful event ever, but Khabib’s dominance stretched far beyond that night. Using his pressure wrestling, ‘The Eagle’ submitted two prime lightweight contenders, Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 and Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, before riding off into the sunset with a 29-0 record. 

However, while Khabib’s promise to his mother not to fight without his late father, Abdulmanap, became the primary reason for not extending his legacy inside the Octagon, Frye believes a lack of real competition also influenced the decision, as nothing truly excited him anymore.

“It was phenomenal. Nothing you could take away from it. He hit his goal, and he’s staying there; he’s maintaining it. If he were to advance it a little, then he’d come back, but he has no desire to come back, and you can’t blame him because nobody ever challenged him,” the UFC legend added.  

Now, despite Dana White’s consistent efforts, Khabib Nurmagomedov never came out of retirement to fight one more time. That only reinforced how firm he remains in his decision. But while ‘The Eagle’ has left no room for a comeback, his bitter rival’s return to the cage is starting to look far more possible.

‘The Notorious’ business partner backs UFC White House comeback plans

After the UFC White House announcement, Conor McGregor became one of the prime names to headline the event. With ‘The Notorious’ grand comeback on June 14 in mind, Dana White also seemed very open to the idea of the MMA star’s return. However, trouble started looming over the Irishman’s comeback when he revealed the negotiations had gone a little murky due to new talks under the Paramount+ CBS era.

McGregor later clarified in a social media post that he needs TKO boss Ari Emanuel’s assistance to fight at the White House, leaving fans concerned about his return. But now, the former UFC champ’s business partner and BKFC president, David Feldman, has provided a positive update that has reignited the buzz around his comeback.

“I don’t know the negotiations going on as far as financials. I know that Conor had said publicly that his contract was a little shaky because of the pay-per-view points that he had in there, but I’m sure that the UFC wants Conor McGregor to fight. He’s going to fight, and they’re going to make it work,” Feldman said, according to MMA Fighting.

“It makes sense for him to fight at the White House. He visited the White House. He’s friends with Trump. He’s friends with Trump’s wife. It just makes sense for him to be here. So my confidence level is probably around 99 percent,” Feldman added.

It’s true that Conor McGregor built a strong relationship with the Trump family after launching his Irish presidency campaign from the White House itself. Still, only time will tell whether he actually steps into the cage at this grand spectacle. That said, what do you think about the former two-division champ’s future? Let us know in the comments section below.