After months of delay, it’s finally official.
Just moments ago, UFC President Dana White tweeted, “29-0 it is. He is officially retired. It was incredible to watch you work @TeamKhabib. Thank you for EVERYTHING and enjoy whatever is next my friend.” The official UFC Instagram and Twitter accounts also acknowledged the end of “The Eagle’s” reign.
While it’s sad to see an all-time great leave competition, there is no doubt Nurmagomedov made his exit at his peak. Plus, the division is no longer held in suspense. At the same time as Nurmagomedov’s retirement announcement, ESPN’s Brett Okamoto revealed that Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira would battle for the Lightweight title at UFC 262, which is currently scheduled for May 15, 2021 at an unannounced location.
Chandler made his UFC debut earlier this year in January, scoring the victory in emphatic fashion by knocking out Dan Hooker inside a round. The former Bellator champion immediately injected himself into the title mix with that victory. Meanwhile, Oliveira is on a serious tear dating back to June 2018, as he’s won eight straight bouts with seven stoppages in that time. Most recently, he dominated Tony Ferguson at UFC 256.