Khabib Nurmagomedov calls for handful of fighters to retire

12/18/2024 10:09 AM

UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov has called for a handful of his former foes to retire from mixed martial arts.

When it comes to talking about some of the best fighters to ever compete in the UFC, Khabib Nurmagomedov is located towards the top of that list. ‘The Eagle’ achieved some truly incredible things throughout the course of his career, including becoming UFC lightweight champion. What was perhaps more impressive, though, was that he was able to retire early with an unbeaten 29-0 record.

Ever since then, Khabib Nurmagomedov has been known as many things – including a coach. He’s also kept an eye on the state of the UFC, often commenting on how other fighters are doing. That includes some of his former rivals that he shared the cage with.

In a recent interview, Khabib wasn’t afraid to list a few fighters who he believes should consider hanging up their gloves sooner rather than later.

Khabib Nurmagomedov calls for fighters to retire

"I think Poirier can beat Charles (Oliveira), and I think Poirier has to stop fighting. He's finished," Nurmagomedov said on the "Pound 4 Pound" podcast. "Justin Gaethje, Khabib, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson. This is old school, brother. Stop fighting. We have to recognize the real things."

Quotes via MMA Junkie

If there’s one thing we know about Khabib Nurmagomedov, it’s that he isn’t afraid to voice his opinion. He was able to defeat Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier during his prime, but he never quite got the chance to battle it out with Tony Ferguson – who has since gone on quite the losing streak in his career.

For a lot of these guys, we know the clock is ticking – but for Khabib, it feels as if he looks at them all and believes that the time has already come.