K. Nurmagomedov has no regrets about retirement Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Recently, the coach of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Javier Mendez, revealed that the former lightweight champion (up to 70,3 kg) was missing the Octagon and having difficulty adapting to life away from competition. In an interview with the official UFC channel in Russia, Khabib confirmed that he misses fighting, but also spoke about the good side of retirement.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov He stated that retiring was like freeing himself from the “prison” that was being UFC champion.
“I'm living the life of a normal person, not that of a professional athlete. I think living the life of a high-level athlete is like being in prison. Every day you have to do the same thing: train, rest, train again, rest again. It's always living the same way, at the same pace, without slowing down. When you slow down, you stop being a champion. So, in a way, I freed myself from this prison”, analyzed the Russian.
The former champion confirmed that he misses entering the octagon and overcoming his opponents, but he has no regrets about hanging up his gloves.
“I miss almost everything. At various times I miss the spirit of competition. Because I spent my whole life doing this. There's never a moment where I regret or doubt my decision, but I miss the competition, the training camps, the weight cut and everything. It's like an addiction. You can't get rid of it. It's simply with you all the time. Sometimes you just want to get in the octagon and beat someone, fight for five rounds. But that's life. If it weren’t for now, at some point in my life I would have to leave the sport anyway,” said Khabib.
Khabib Nurmagomedov abandoned professional MMA in October 2020, after finishing Justin gaethje in the main fight of UFC 254. The former champion, owner of an undefeated record with 29 victories, made the decision after the death of his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, victim of Covid-19.
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