Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t have much time left inside the Octagon if his father gets his way.
“The Eagle” has his sights set on UFC 209 this Saturday night (March 4) inside the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nurmagomedov’s opponent will be Tony Ferguson. The winner will be crowned the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion.
With a record of 24-0, one would think Nurmagomedov has had some wear and tear. “The Eagle” is just 28 years of age and in the prime of his career. It’s easy to see him competing for quite a few more years, but it isn’t something his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, wants to see.
In an interview with Life.ru, Abdulmanap said his son doesn’t have much time left to compete. He believes “The Eagle” will have had a full career while maintaining his health at the age of 30 (transcription by Egemen Birben via Bloody Elbow):
“I don’t want to upset any fans but Khabib is 28 years old and by 30 he has to finish his career. I’ve never voiced this opinion before, didn’t talk about it to anyone. But I’m afraid he’s got left 1.5 years. I want him as a healthy, thinking person. I want him to develop other fighters. In such a big sport, a career between 24-30 years old is enough.”
