Khabib Nurmagomedov retires from MMA coaching to ‘spend more time with his family’

After a successful year of coaching that saw him create several new champions, Khabib Nurmagomedov appears to have announced his retirement from mixed martial…

By: Karim Zidan | 5 months ago
Khabib Nurmagomedov retires from MMA coaching to ‘spend more time with his family’
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

After a successful year of coaching that saw him create several new champions, Khabib Nurmagomedov appears to have announced his retirement from mixed martial arts coaching.

The former UFC lightweight champion shared an Instagram post that suggested he was leaving the sport.

“The year certainly turned out to be a very busy and successful,” Nurmagomedov’s post read. “Take care of yourself brothers. I hope my decision is only for the best, a big hug to you all. Thank you, you were a big reason for my success in sports.”

The news was later confirmed by Russian state-affiliated media Tass.ru, which added that Nurmagomedov wanted to spend more time with his family.

“Khabib left the MMA industry,| sources told Tass.ru. “He will no longer train, will not be present with the team at the training camp. This is done to spend more time with his family.”

Shami Zavurov, Nurmaogmedov’s cousin and fellow pro fighter, also hinted that the former champion had retired from coaching.

“He’s left this sport, but the sport spirit will never leave him,” Zavurov wrote on Instagram.

Nurmagomedov retired from MMA competition in October 2020 following a submission victory against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi. The Dagestani native retired with a perfect 29-0 record and with three successful title defences under his belt.

Over the next two years, Nurmogmedov poured himself into other MMA-related roles, including as the founder of Eagle FC and as a coach for his teammates. HIs efforts resulted in Islam Makhachev securing the UFC lightweight title, and Usman Nurmagomedov winning the Bellator lightweight title.

About the author: Karim Zidan is an investigative reporter for Bloody Elbow focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. His work is also a contributor to The New York Times and The Guardian. (full bio)

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About the author
Karim Zidan
Karim Zidan

Karim Zidan is a investigative reporter and feature writer focusing on the intersection of sports and politics. He has written for BloodyElbow since 2014 and has served as an associate editor since 2016. He also writes for The New York Times and The Guardian. Karim has been invited to speak about his work at numerous universities, including Princeton, and was a panelist at the South by Southwest (SXSW) film festival and the Oslo Freedom Forum. He also participated in the United Nations counter-terrorism conference in 2021. His reporting on Ramzan Kadyrov’s involvement in MMA, much of which was done for Bloody Elbow, has led to numerous award nominations, and was the basis of an award-winning HBO Real Sports documentary.

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