When Khabib Nurmagomedov hung up his boots in 2020 and abdicated the UFC Lightweight Championship after beating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, the MMA world got divided. While some were of the opinion that the Eagle has accomplished everything in the Octagon others, which also included his foe Conor McGregor, felt that the Russian is leaving out on so many opportunities. Nurmagomedov’s retirement still brews debates, and this time Colby Covington has given his say on Nurmagomedov leaving the circuit.
At 28-0, Khabib Nurmagomedov decided to bid adieu to the sport of MMA and has held his decision to stay retired. However, fans and experts still often pay heed to the unrelenting topic of what would it be the scenario in UFC had he decided to stay and kept fighting. Some say he would have continued to be dominating force as he was in his tenure, whereas some say he could have eventually seen a loss as staying undefeated in the most violent piece of combat sports is a rarity. Having cleared the Lightweight division, moving to Welterweight was the most probable route that Khabib had taken, but Nurmagomedov squashed all speculations and resorted to moving away. Though a move to the 170-pound weight class did not take place, a formidable fighter of the division, Colby Covington has expressed his views on why the former UFC Lightweight Champion never moved up in the weight ladder.
Colby Covington makes bold claim about former UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov
Covington, who will likely fight Leon Edwards next for the UFC Welterweight strap, says that Khabib didn’t want to come across him in the ring because he was in the knowledge that he (Colby) had the abilities that could have matched him in the ring. “Chaos” also stated that Khabib and the current Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev are “all talk and no walk”. “He never came to 170, because the man’s here,” Covington told My MMA News. “He doesn’t wanna fight the man. He knew the man that had a great style for him, the guy that was way more well rounded, could stuff his takedowns, being in his face and punch, and putting volume on him, and doesn’t break under cardio. Like, that’s what I do best. I would’ve walked him down. So, him and Makhachev need to shut their (explicit) mouths. They’re all talk and no walk like myself.”
