In the unforgiving world of mixed martial arts, retirement is rarely a clean break. It’s more of a murky transition filled with emotional weight, physical scars, and a constant tug-of-war between pride and purpose. For UFC fighters, walking away from the Octagon isn’t just about hanging up the gloves; it’s about letting go of an identity forged through blood, sweat, and sacrifice. One of the legends of the sport who recently announced his retirement from the sport is Dustin Poirier. UFC CEO Dana White has nothing but respect for the career Poirier has had in the UFC.

However, there are some retirements that still haunt the UFC CEO to date. One of them is Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s. The Dagestani fighter stunned the MMA world in 2020 when he announced his retirement at just 32 years old. With a flawless 29-0 record and eight successful years with the Las Vegas-based promotion, many believed he was far from done—fans fully expected him to add more victories to his already remarkable résumé. Instead, he chose to walk away at the height of his powers, leaving behind a legacy untouched by defeat. The 55-year-old was not only shocked but even tried to change the mind of the former lightweight champion.

However, ‘The Eagle’ had already made up his mind, and White had no option but to accept the decision. After the recently concluded UFC 318 event, White spoke to the media during the post-fight press conference. On being asked about Poirier’s decision to retire, White made it clear that he never questions any fighter’s retirement decision. However, there were only two instances where he wanted to change it and admitted, “I don’t never question when a guy says he wants to retire. Other than I think Khabib and Cormier are the two guys that I’ve ever said, ‘I don’t know if you know it’s time.’ But yeah, that’s totally up to him. This is a rough sport. He fought a rough fight tonight, and yeah, I mean, the way tonight went, retiring seems like the right thing to do.” 

Since stepping away from the sport in October 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov has constantly been met with speculation about a potential comeback. Fans and pundits alike have wondered if the undefeated lightweight king would ever return to the Octagon. But now, four years later, Khabib’s answer hasn’t wavered—his retirement remains firm, and his decision unchanged. The former lightweight champion is still active but has taken up the role of coaching his teammates. But how long does he plan to take up the role? Well, it seems the 36-year-old won’t be staying on for long.

Khabib Nurmagomedov shares an update about his plans to remain a coach

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes that fans won’t miss seeing him inside the Octagon as long as he continues making an impact behind the scenes. Since retiring, the Russian icon has dedicated himself to coaching and mentoring the next generation of MMA stars—and the results speak for themselves. From UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to rising talents like Umar and Usman Nurmagomedov, Khabib’s influence is unmistakable. This new wave of fighters carries his philosophy, discipline, and dominance into every fight, ensuring that his legacy lives on—even if he never throws another punch.

However, during a recent interview with ESPNMMA, ‘The Eagle’ made it clear he is now considering retiring from coaching as well. He said, “When these guys finish, I’m gonna finish. I hope it’s gonna be very fast ’cause I’m tired of all this. We on top of this game, like, eight years, seven years since I’ve become champion. You can even watch the team record. We almost don’t lose, and I talk about 25 professional fighters. We fight; we almost don’t lose everybody we fight around the world, everywhere.” He further added, “All these guys, they was with me, they was with my father from the beginning. When they finish, a couple guys with me already finished. There is like six, seven, eight on a very high level. They’re still there. When they finish, I’m gonna finish.”

It seems the former UFC champion has officially closed the chapter on his fighting career and is now embracing a quieter life. Khabib is now focused on peace, purpose, and well-earned relaxation. The former champion is without a doubt one of the biggest stars the sport has ever seen. Even after retiring from the sport, ‘The Eagle’ has helped create some world-class fighters by sharing his experience with them. But do you think his absence from their corners will affect the team Dagestan in the future? Will they keep on dominating the way they did? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.