Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov retired on top, leaving the sport after a dominant submission victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
Despite UFC CEO Dana White’s efforts to lure him back, Khabib remains firm in his decision to stay retired. However, he remains active in the sport as a trainer and continues to keep a close eye on the MMA landscape.
The Dagestani has witnessed the decline of several notable fighters, including Dustin Poirier, Gaethje, and Tony Ferguson, and he has urged them to step away from competition.
“I think Poirier has to stop fighting. I think he’s finished,” Khabib said during an interview on the Pound 4 Pound podcast. “Justin Gaethje, Khabib, Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson — this is old school, brother. Stop fighting. We have to recognize relevance.”
Khabib’s protégé, Islam Makhachev, recently defeated Poirier to retain the lightweight title. That loss marked the Louisianan’s third failed title bid, and he has since announced that he will retire after his next fight.
Meanwhile, Gaethje is coming off a brutal knockout loss at UFC 300 and has yet to schedule a return. Ferguson, on the other hand, is on an eight-fight losing streak and hasn’t won a bout since 2019.
