Khabib Nurmagomedov opens up about stresses of life in public eye: ‘It’s very hard to live like this’
Five months after hanging up his gloves, it appears Khabib Nurmagomedov is still content with his decision.
The UFC lightweight champion has put together an unparalleled resume during his unbeaten run as a mixed martial artist, including submission finishes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje, as he cemented himself as one of the most dominant athletes in recent UFC history.
Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) announced his retirement after submitting Gaethje at UFC 254 and hasn’t looked back since, despite Dana White’s apparent persistence in trying to persuade him to return. In an interview with Esquire Middle East, Nurmagomedov opened up about the overwhelming stress and pressure that he continues to deal with, even though he has retired.
“Life in the public eye is very stressful,” Nurmagomedov said. “I would like to live the ordinary life of an ordinary person like I did 10 years ago. But now I have championship belts, from fights won by me. I understood that fame would come along with this, but I did not realize that it would be so difficult. It’s very hard to live like this and I would like to return to the calmness that was before I became famous.”
The passing of Nurmagomedov’s father and mentor Abdulmanap was a major factor in “The Eagle’s” decision to walk away from the sport at his peak. Nurmagomedov promised his mother that he would no longer compete without his father in his corner and would only return if she gave him her blessing.
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But Nurmagomedov explains that it wasn’t just the stress of being a public figure that took a toll on him, it was also his rigorous training schedule.
“Every day I woke up in the morning and started training, and in the evening my body was exhausted because I had brought it to the limit,” Nurmagomedov said. “I just want to live a life in which I can get at least a little sleep before lunchtime, to live for myself and not devote myself 100 percent to sports.”
Nurmagomedov may have walked away from MMA, but he’s constantly on the mats with his training partners. While he doesn’t have any intentions of becoming a coach like his father, he’s happy to help his teammates whenever they need him.
“Now that I’m not going to train any more, I have people close to me—brothers and friends—who are now fighting at the highest level,” Nurmagomedov said. “There are about five or six people who we are building the path with, and I will help them, train with them, share my experiences. To some extent, this can be called a coaching life, but I am not going to fully enter into coaching. I will always be there and share my experience.”
But, despite his comments suggesting that his career has come to a close, he refused to fully close the door on the prospect of a return to the octagon, “I think only time will answer this question. We will see,” he said.
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