‘He misses fighting’: Khabib works up sweat in gym as coach gives deadline on comeback chances for ex-UFC king
Retired former UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov misses the feeling of fighting but a potential comeback would have to be within two years of his previous bout or it will never happen, according to the Russian star’s coach.
Ever since he called time on his career following an emotional title defense against Justin Gaethje last October, undefeated lightweight ruler Khabib has faced an incessant clamor to return to the octagon from fans desperate to see him hit the fabled 30-0 mark.
Khabib, 32, has consistently batted away those calls, citing a promise to his mother that he would retire in the wake of the tragic death of his father and trainer Abdulmanap following complications from a coronavirus infection last year.
The Russian grappling phenom has instead thrown himself into his various business pursuits while taking on the mantel of coach for family members and teammates such as UFC bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov, Bellator lightweight contender Usman Nurmagomedov, and UFC 155lbs contender Islam Makhachev.
Questions nonetheless persist over whether ‘The Eagle’ could once again grace the cage – a notion that Khabib’s trainer and close friend Javier Mendez has said is unlikely but not impossible.
“I guess you could say he wants to fight again – but absolutely not because his mother would have to give him permission before any of that,” Mendez told Betway Insider.
“I mean, he misses training, he misses fighting."
Such is the bond between Khabib and Mendez that the fighter even posted back in April that he "misses" his coach after spending a period apart.
“I took it as he misses being around me and coaching. Our relationship is more than fighting; that goes beyond fighting," Mendez said.
"It’s not a relationship like: ‘OK, I’m done with my career, you know, my coach and I were just distant friends.’ No. We’re family; we grew with each other.
“They’re family to me, and we’ll always be in each other’s lives for the rest of our lives.
“You know, when we went to the last fight and his cousin Abubakar was to fight, he just got all energized, and he said, ‘I miss this feeling.’
“And it’s a feeling that he’s gonna miss for a while because of that adrenaline you get from entering that octagon with all those people cheering you on. It’s hard to replace that in normal life because normal life is not like that.”
Mendez admitted to not discussing any potential comeback with his charge, with whom he has worked for the best part of a decade at his American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose.
“Even if he wanted to fight, it’s never going to happen. He will not disobey his mother; he will not. That’s just who he is,” Mendez said.
“I can say this comfortably, that after two years out of the octagon, there will definitely be no comeback…
“But I can honestly say that if he’s still in his prime, there’s always the possibility that he and his mother could talk. I can say that.
“I wouldn’t bet against it, but I know there is a possible situation that I could see.
"If there was something that would bring him back, it’s him still being in his prime and him and his mother talking.”
Khabib’s retirement call was finally accepted by UFC boss Dana White in March, and Brazil’s Charles Oliveira has since ascended to the throne in the promotion’s 155lbs ranks.
Alongside coaching, Khabib has been focusing on his own Eagle Fighting Championship promotion and has even flirted with the idea of a stint as a footballer.
He has also consistently talked up the benefits of regular training, and the most recent post to his 29.1 million Instagram followers showed the retired star with a sweat-drenched brow after a workout on a step machine.
“My favorite place,” wrote Khabib, tagging the NAS sports complex in Dubai.
“These flights and meetings have relaxed me, from tomorrow I start, or to be more precise I’ve already started,” added the former UFC ruler.
As long as Khabib stays in shape, questions will linger among many of his fanbase over whether they get to see the Eagle in action one last time.
