UFC 254: Khabib v. Gaethje Khabib – Nurmagomedov announces his retirement

BY MARCEL MARIAK

There’s a famous paradox in the world of engineering: what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? While physicists haven’t yet been able to answer this question, MMA fans found the solution at UFC 254 on October 25th. The unstoppable force in this equation was Justin Gaethje, a famous brawler with tremendous striking power. He earned the chance to challenge Khabib for the UFC Lightweight Belt after defeating Tony Ferguson in May 2020. The immovable object, Khabib Nurmagomedov, a Russian fighter (and Sambo World Champion) whose undefeated 28-0 record had granted him legendary status. Khabib’s father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, had passed away in July due to complications from the coronavirus. Khabib says he was hesitant to accept the fight with Justin Gaethje, but after three days of deliberation with his mother, he decided to step into the ring.
Preparing for the fight was a distraction for Khabib and he was never able to fully mourn the loss of his father.

The Battle
Both fighters came out cautious in the first round. Khabib respected Justin’s striking power and knockout abilities, and Justin recognized Khabib’s skills in taking down and mauling his opponents. As a result, the warriors spent the first minute of the fight circling each other, with both fighters unwilling to enter into the other’s range. Eventually, strikes began being exchanged, with Justin Gaethje taking a surprising initiative. Gaethje began to land tremendously violent kicks on Khabib’s front leg. He also hit his rival with a couple of hook punches that stunned Khabib and sent him stumbling back. While Khabib managed to reply with a few strikes of his own, it quickly became apparent that unless he took Justin to the ground, his belt was in jeopardy. Despite the onslaught, Khabib continued to put pressure on Gaethje and walk him down throughout the first round. Justin, unwilling to risk tying up with his powerful opponent, had no choice but to retreat. In the final seconds of the first round, Justin stumbled. Khabib shot in with a double-leg takedown and brought the fight to the ground. Unfortunately for the Russian grappler, there wasn’t enough time remaining in the round for Khabib to apply any submission to finish the fight.

During the 1 minute intermission between the first and second round, the damage done to Khabib’s leg by Gaethje’s kicks was apparent. His team instantly put ice on the leg in an attempt to minimize swelling. In the meantime, Gaethje’s coach reminded him to slow it down and keep the fight standing at all costs; if Khabib took him down at the beginning of the round, the battle would surely be over. The second round started, once again, in Justin Gaethje’s favour. Although Khabib continued to walk his Justin down, Gaethje continued to throw low kicks. The damage was becoming apparent as Khabib began to move with more stiffness and overreact to Gaethje’s blows. One minute into the second round, everything changed. While Gaethje threw another low kick, Khabib shot for a takedown. The strike connected, but Khabib managed to tackle his opponent to the ground. The instant the battle hit the canvas, there was a chasm of daylight between the fighters’ grappling skills. After a quick scramble, the competitors ended up against the cage with Khabib in a dangerous top mount position. Khabib put on a triangle choke from top mount, then swiftly rolled onto his back to finish the choke. Although Justin Gaethje shortly began to tap out, the referee failed to notice and only separated the fighters once Gaethje was unconscious.

The Emotional Aftermath
Once the referee finished the fight, Khabib was overwhelmed by emotions. At last, he was able to mourn his father. Khabib broke down into tears at the centre of the ring and was inconsolable for a couple of minutes. Eventually, his team surrounded and comforted him. Khabib stood up and joined the referee to have his hand raised. During the post-fight interview, Khabib took off his gloves, laid them on the canvas, and announced his retirement from fighting, “This was my last fight. No way I will come to fight here without my father,” said the champion. Khabib also spoke about the promise he made to his mother. After his father’s death, Khabib’s mother urged him not to fight. Khabib accepted the fight with Justin Gaethje but promised his mother that it would be his final fight. “I gave my word, and now I have to follow it. This was my last fight,” said the solemn Khabib before demanding that he be named the UFC’s pound-for-pound number one fighter – a title well deserved.

What’s Next?
With the UFC Lightweight Title now vacant, Justin Gaethje may very well have another chance to become the champion after all! As for Khabib, many are hoping that his retirement won’t last and that he will eventually step back in the cage. Unfortunately for fans, Khabib’s retirement isn’t about money, it’s about keeping his word to his family; and for Khabib Nurmagomedov, family and community always come first.
Although Khabib will undoubtedly be missed in the ring, he has inspired an entire generation of young fighters and cemented his legacy as a UFC legend.