Khabib Nurmagomedov bid farewell to the UFC after a victory against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. His untimely retirement was driven by the heartbreaking loss of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
However, there has been recent speculation about his return. A viral audio clip featuring AKA head coach Javier Mendez has appeared, dropping hints about Khabib’s return.
The viral audio clip caused a stir in the MMA community. It features Javier Mendez shedding light on Khabib’s training.
Mendez reveals: “He’s always training. Always training. But he’s never trained with me. You understand…He’s been training, but he’s never trained with me. Only when he fights he trains with me. That I can tell you…Whether he fights or not, I don’t know. But he’s training with me so you can take that for what it’s worth.”
Retired UFC star turned analyst Chael Sonnen delved into Mendez’s revelations on his YouTube channel. Sonnen speculates that Khabib might make a comeback at UFC 300, eyeing a challenge against Leon Edwards for the welterweight title. However, Sonnen believes Khabib won’t linger in the division, predicting a potential vacancy that Islam Makhachev could seize.
Islam Makhachev previously expressed his eagerness to compete for the welterweight title, but UFC CEO Dana White remains skeptical. White dismisses the idea, citing a crowded lightweight division.
As UFC 300 approaches, two additional title matches are yet to be unveiled, further heightening the interest surrounding the event.
Javier Mendez’s cryptic audio clip rapidly spread across various social media platforms, captivating the MMA community. Fans passionately shared their opinions on the potential comeback, sparking debates on the likelihood of Khabib’s return.
But following the social media stir, Mendez gave an exclusive to Helen Yee and debunked the rumors he inadvertantly started:
“just letting you guys know that, you know, stop all this nonsense regarding Khabib coming back and me and him training. There’s been no such thing happening. We’re not discussing training. We never have. Khabib is still devoted to what he said. ”
“He’s devoted his time to his family. He’s not working people’s corners. He’s not going to ever fight. To my knowledge, it’s never been spoken about. And to my knowledge, he has been here the last few days. He just left yesterday from Dubai and nothing has ever been discussed about fighting. No training, no nothing. We train together, actually, but we’re doing cardio.”
“We weren’t doing any any kind of kickboxing, any kind of training whatsoever, so. Stop the clickbait. Got it. “