Khabib Nurmagomedov, probably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, is officially retired and even UFC President Dana White is ready to move on.
White told ESPN on Thursday that he and Nurmagomedov met in Las Vegas, and the undefeated lightweight champion reiterated that he did not intend to fight again. As a result, the UFC is finalizing an easy title fight between Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira for UFC 262 on May 15, according to White.
“Khabib is retired and does not want to maintain the division,” White told ESPN in a text message. “Tonight was our last meeting and he’s retired.”
Nurmagomedov (29-0) announced his retirement from MMA in October, but White repeatedly said he supported the hope that the Dagestani champion would fight again. Nurmagomedov easily defended the championship three times, against Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor.
Looking ahead, Chandler (22-5) is a former three-time Bellator MMA lightweight champion. He signed with the UFC in 2020 and made his promotional debut in January against Dan Hooker at UFC 257 on Fight Island. He scored a first-round tie in just 2:30.
Fighting from Sanford MMA in South Florida, Chandler is 6-1 in the last seven contests.
Oliveira (30-8) currently has a series of eight-fight wins, including a dominant decision over former interim champion Tony Ferguson at UFC 256 in December. The 31-year-old has been in tears since the weight loss in 2017, with a record of 9-1. He finished eight of the nine victories at £ 155.