UFC: Khabib Numagomedov says he doesn’t need money fights and has ‘nothing to show people’ after retiring
- ‘I defended my title three times. I won the biggest fight in UFC history. What else? Only money fights,’ says former lightweight champ
- ‘I’m gonna make money. I’m gonna enjoy my life. I have kids. And I have my brothers, they’re still fighting, and I’m going to support them’
The undefeated former UFC lightweight champion (29-0) hung up his gloves in a shock announcement after submitting Justin Gaethje last October, but the promotion’s president Dana White has since tried to convince him to come back for one more fight.
Nurmagomedov insisted he never contemplated returning, though. “No. Dana called this official [this week]. But I retired five, six months ago. It’s very funny,” he told ESPN at the Apex facility, where he watched Saturday night’s UFC Vegas 22 card cageside with White.
“It’s very hard when you have power, you’re the best in the world, you’re famous, you have money, and you say no to these things. People may never understand me. Everybody has their views, and [because of] my relationship with my mother, I felt I had to stop fighting.
“I’m the world champion. I’m the No 1 pound-for-pound fighter. I defended my title three times. I won the biggest fight in UFC history. What else? Only money fights. But I don’t need money fights.
