UFC's Dana White says he's meeting with Khabib Nurmagomedov next month about possible return
It’s been nearly two months since Khabib Nurmagomedov shocked the MMA world by announcing his retirement, and UFC president Dana White already wants him back.
In an interview with TMZ, White said he is planning to speak with the UFC lightweight champion in January about a potential return to the Octagon:
“The truth is, he has not committed to anything. What he has committed to is meeting with me next month. He and I are going to sit down, we’re going to meet next month. We’re going to find out phow] persuasive I can be ... I’ll bet on me every time.”
White is one of many who have doubted Nurmagomedov’s retirement at age 32 as permanent. It took less than a week after the Russian’s announcement for White to start publicly speculating about a return, and even seemed to hint at a return fight involving Georges St-Pierre.
White’s UFC hasn’t even treated Nurmagomedov as retired. The promotion’s official rankings still have him atop the pound-for-pound and lightweight rankings. White also went out of his way to declare January’s bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier as a non-title fight, claiming he believes the champ will return.
However, Nurmagomedov has been consistent in denying that he’s just taking a break from the sport he has dominated in recent years. He cited the death of his father and coach Abdulmanap as his reason for calling it career at 29-0, saying he promised his mother he would not fight without his father by his side.
Nurmagomedov reiterated that in November when sharing a five-year plan that did not include the UFC.
"You can fight until you're 40 but there should be a goal," he said. "I had a goal to reach the summit and I got there. Further, I have no competitive interest. Next year I will graduate. I'd like to [build on] my thesis, do a masters course, dedicate more time to studying. I've bought sheep, I tend to my farm. I'd like to develop in this field a little. I have the bull calves out to feed, I have cows."
We’ll just have to wait and see if White can convince Nurmagomedov that there is more to do in the UFC.
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