Dana White’s Major Error In Persuading Khabib Nurmagomedov Pointed Out By UFC Legend

UFC veteran talks about UFC's mistakes when negotiating with Khabib Nurmagomedov to bring him back from retirement.

Dana White’s Major Error In Persuading Khabib Nurmagomedov Pointed Out By UFC Legend

Dana White accused of making mistakes to bring back Khabib Nurmagomedov (via MMA Fighting)

Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s exit from UFC is undoubtedly one of the most shocking ones in the modern history of MMA. The fighter decided to quit fighting at the age of 32, in his absolute prime with an undefeated professional record. Despite his incredible achievements, his premature exit has always affected his claim of being the greatest of all time.

Before his retirement, Nurmagomedov had become one of the most popular MMA fighters worldwide, doing massive pay-per-view numbers consistently. As a result, UFC CEO Dana White tried his best to bring the Dagestani champion back from retirement with incredible offers. However, according to Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen, the UFC made several mistakes during the negotiation process with Nurmagomedov:

When the UFC started negotiating with Khabib, they started adding zeros and bigger checks and Conor part 2. The UFC missed it. The UFC missed it; the number that they needed to change was the 155-pound weight class to 170 pounds. You would have gotten Khabib vs. Conor two. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to fight Conor, I don’t believe that. He didn’t wanna beat the scale anymore and that’s the one thing that the company missed.

Nurmagomedov’s career was repeatedly challenged by brutal weight cuts that pushed his body to dangerous and unhealthy physical extremes. On one occasion at UFC 209, the Dagestani fighter was hospitalized due to complications from weight cutting, which led to a cancellation of the Tony Ferguson fight. These severe struggles with cutting weight were often cited as key reasons behind his eventual decision to retire early.

On top of that, due to his success, Nurmagomedov made many connections with Saudi elites who sponsored his business ventures. Additionally, Russian President Vladimir Putin gifted him properties worth millions, securing Nurmagomedov’s financial future and eliminating all monetary concerns permanently. With money no longer a driving factor, Nurmagomedov gradually transitioned away from fighting and fully immersed himself in coaching future champions.

He has successfully helped his childhood friend Islam Makhachev become the lightweight champion, now reigning as the pound-for-pound king. Other than that, Umar and Usman Nurmagomedov are also positioned strongly in their respective careers, showing great promise and dominance.
With everything falling perfectly into place, it’s safe to say Nurmagomedov’s decision to retire from MMA has proven truly wise.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s greatest rival mocks his retirement

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s popularity exploded after his heated rivalry with Conor McGregor, which drew global attention and massive media coverage worldwide. He repeatedly called McGregor out for his trash talk and disrespect, eventually securing a high-stakes fight that fans eagerly anticipated for months.
They finally clashed at UFC 229, where Nurmagomedov dominated the fight, submitting the ‘Notorious’ in the fourth round, and retaining his title.

Khabib Nurmagomedov beats Conor McGregor at UFC 229
Khabib Nurmagomedov beats Conor McGregor at UFC 229 (via MMA Fighting)

After the fight, chaos erupted as Nurmagomedov jumped into the crowd, triggering a massive brawl that became iconic in MMA history. Following that devastating loss, McGregor’s downfall began, as he continued to lose fights and struggled to regain his former dominance. During an interview with Stephen A. Smith, McGregor lashed out when asked about Nurmagomedov and mocked his undefeated fighting career:

Where’s he gone though? Where’s he now? He went sprinting, he’s gone. He’s done nothing to the sport. He’s 13-0 and fighting guys with three wins and six losses. It was his father’s show and that’s his record until 20-0.

Till now, the bad blood between McGregor and Team Khabib remains palpable, often visible through their frequent heated online disputes. Recently, ‘The Eagle’ took a sneaky jibe at McGregor, suggesting their fight helped him fund his new training facility.