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“I Don’t Think He’s Fighting This Year”- Daniel Cormier on Khabib Nurmagomedov

Published 07/21/2020, 12:00 AM EDT

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There are massive question marks over when Khabib Nurmagomedov will return to the UFC. The fighter is currently in mourning following his father’s death due to coronavirus complications. Hence, UFC President Dana White has revealed that they will give him time and space and he will call the promotion when he is ready to fight.

Now, UFC Heavyweight contender Daniel Cormier has weighed in on a proposed return date for his American Kickboxing Academy teammate. 

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In a chat with Ariel Helwani on ‘DC & Helwani,’ via ESPN MMA, the fighter said, “I don’t think he’s fighting this year, honestly, and it’s going to take a lot of strength from a very strong man, for Khabib to be back in the Octagon ever, I think.”

Here, he delves into details about the bond the father-son duo shared. He calls it their journey together. Furthermore, ‘DC’ reiterates a point about it taking an immense amount of strength for ‘The Eagle’ to make a comeback. 

Daniel Cormier hopes to see Khabib Nurmagomedov fight

‘DC’ said, “Man I just know what Abdulmnap meant to him and I know that this was their journey together. I hope he fights, I just don’t know, like I don’t know. It’s gonna take, he’s gonna have to muster up a lot of strength for an already strong person to go out there and do it.”

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Cormier even assumes that if Khabib returns, fans can’t be guaranteed that he will keep on returning. He said, “And if he does, I just don’t know how long he’ll be around. Maybe he fights, maybe he fights and honors his father with another massive unbelievable performance.”

Read: “We’re Not Interested in Fighting Him”- Khabib Nurmagomedov Manager Wants Conor Mcgregor to Fight Someone Else First

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Finally, ‘DC’ brings up ‘The Eagle’s last fight at UFC 242. On that occasion, Abdulmanap was present at the Octagon side. He goes on to describe the exuberant reaction by Nurmagomedov Sr as ‘The Diamond’ tapped out and surrendered his Interim UFC Lightweight Championship.  

“But, I look back to his fight in September and when he won and the way his dad reacted. It’s almost like, you saw the video of the way his dad reacts after he won against Dustin Poirier? It’s almost like his whole spirit was filled with joy watching his kid do that. I’m just happy they got to share that together.”

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The victory scene and heartfelt moment at the post-fight interview will live on in fans’ memories. However, they will want to see the undefeated fighter make a return soon. 

When do you see Khabib Nurmagomedov making a return?

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Reubyn Coutinho

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Reubyn Coutinho is a Combat Sports editor at EssentiallySports with over 2 years of journalistic experience. Having earned his bachelor's degree in Mass Media with a specialization in Journalism from Xavier's College, Reubyn has interned with the sports desks at DNA and Times Now before joining EssentiallySports to further his passion for sports content. Reubyn has interviewed former UFC champions like 'Mighty Mouse' Demetrious Johnson and Miesha Tate.
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