Khabib Nurmagomedov improved to 29-0 with a second-round submission of Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi and then announced his retirement from the sport in an emotional post-fight interview inside the Octagon.
It was a stunning move by the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the world, who explained that his mother doesn’t want him to fight anymore since the death of his dad and longtime coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
Conor McGregor has taken a lot of shots at Khabib the past few years and the two had an all-out brawl after their fight at UFC 229 in 2018.
But McGregor took a moment Saturday to offer a classy reaction to Khabib’s retirement announcement:
Good performance @TeamKhabib.
I will carry on.
Respect and condolences on your father again also. To you and family.
Yours sincerely, The McGregors.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 24, 2020
McGregor had long been pushing for a rematch with Nurmagomedov but now that’s not going to happen.
What a career for Khabib, who will be missed from the fight game.