Khabib Nurmagomedov practices what he preaches.
His reward is one of the sport’s few graceful exits, and he remains an active figure in the sport, coaching multiple elite athletes from his massive facility in Dagestan. One of those fighters is his longtime training partner Islam Makhachev, the former Lightweight kingpin who recently abdicated his post in pursuit of Welterweight gold after defending his 155-pound for the fourth time at UFC 311.
Makhachev turns 34 in October, and for that reason, Nurmagomedov isn’t expecting his career to last much longer. He targets retirement for his athlete within 18 months to two years, meaning we likely only have a handful of fights left to watch the Russian perform.
“Islam maybe, my honest opinion, one and a half, two years because (his) age in October is going to be 34,” Nurmagomedov explained in an interview uploaded by Ushatayka (via MMA Junkie). “Nobody is going to be (the) same. When time comes, they don’t ask what’s your name. Of course, I finish when I was 32. I don’t even begin because I have this situation with my life, that’s why (I retired).
“But when you become 35, you need to stop doing this because leave this sport for young guys. When you become 35 and you don’t finish, somebody is going to finish you. Why? It’s better to finish. After 35, you’re never going to be the same. People can talk whatever they want. When you’re past your prime, you’re going to fight only for money.”
If Makhachev is willing to stick with Nurmagomedov’s timeline, what is the ideal four fights remaining? Obviously, Makhachev is hoping for a win over Jack Della Maddalena to secure his second UFC title first and foremost, but afterward? An Ilia Topuria super fight is the obvious move, then his final bout or two wouldn’t be quite so clear. For legacy sake, perhaps one Welterweight defense against whoever is most deserving would add the most to his resume, although a second Arman Tsarukyan victory would look quite good too.
Either way, make sure to appreciate Makhachev while he’s around. The dominant Russian is both one of the sport’s absolute best and a vicious fight-finisher — a rare combination that doesn’t always see the praise it deserves.
