Khabib Normagomedov ends career with perfect record, perfect timing

Time of Khabib NormagomedovRetirement may come as a surprise, but if you look at how he dictated his entire career, it shouldn’t be.

Forget going 30-0. Forget potential legacy fights, revenge matches. Forget money. Normagomedov chose the right time to walk away.

Raising his hand, he won the place of worship, defeated the dangerous opponent, Normagomedov held on tight for a moment, he had already captured and finished things according to his rules.

“This is my last fight,” Noormagomedov said shortly after the submission Justin Gethse In the main event of UFC 254.

He described how difficult it was to move forward with Saturday’s struggle in the wake of the death of his father, Abdulmanap, a monument to the whole Republic of Dagestan, not just in Normagomedov’s life. He made a promise to his mother, the latter was his last and he wanted to keep that promise. He also took a swipe at past opponents Dustin Poyer And Conor McGregor, Reminds everyone that they will fall before him like everyone else.

They are just some of the reasons why I believe this retirement is contagious. Another is that Noormagomedov was always clear with his intentions, and even though everyone knew what his plan-father plan-cage was inside and outside, not a single soul could stand in its way.

Sure, there are unanswered questions. How do these things happen. But he did everything in his power to ensure that he was always included in any serious conversation about who the great fighting warrior was. Realistically, one might ask that comparing different eras is an obscure science.

Even if you are not surprised with the 29-0 record (the weird thing is), the quality of his wins stands out. He co-authored the MMA with Gethse, Poier, McGregor, and Rafael dos Anjos, All of whom have held UFC gold at some point in their careers. And when we talk about Normagomedov’s dominance, we have to look beyond the scorecards. Compared to him he did better at Best Look Average.

The victory on Saturday showed that Normagomedov, who turned 32 last September, still has a lot of room for growth. Instead of immediately going to his wrestling, Normagomedov charged Gaitze with a hard hit and constantly pressured him on the standup. In Stand, With Gaitje to all the people. So much for the article that Normagomedov is not a striker.

He eventually with his grip, volunteered for the Jit-Jitsu show and transformed Gethsemane into the White Belt, and if this was only a Normagomedov fight, you will quickly learn how he earned his aggressive reputation. Closing their career was a surprise to anyone and even if it wasn’t really the end, Normagomedov chose hell as a good time to take a break.

What are the latest fights that fans are dying to watch? UFC 254 will be replaced Michael Chandler? Charles Oliveira? Dan Hooker? Kevin Lee? Of all the honorable names, all of them will benefit far more than Normagomedov from the fight with Normagomedov. Even those who are fond of the old-fashioned rebuilding opening building must admit that future fights will be more for fan fulfillment than Normagomedov’s self-satisfaction.

The two biggest chances he missed were his cursed series schedule Tony Ferguson And a match with a retired legend Georges St.-Pierre Both expressed strong interest. The first is that you can blame the naughty MMA gods for the futility and the second is the tight purse strings of the UFC. However, there is a strong argument that Noormagomedov overtook Ferguson at this point and won over the 40-year-old “GSP”, no matter what weight class he was in, more than a luxury item. An important part of the Normagomedov collection.

Looking back, all the talk about the UFC President Dana WhiteNormagomedov feels crazy, it is always Normagomedov and his team going to decide his future. At post-fight pressure on Saturday, White appeared to have resigned, the last time we would see Normagomedov compete within the octagon. For good (Normagomedov refuses to fight McGregor a second time regardless of potential pay) or worse (Normagomedov nuts UFC 229 After the first fight with McGregor), Normagomedov calls for shots of when and why he is fighting.

I do not rule out coming back. It was an extraordinarily emotional and difficult time for millions around the world, including Normagomedov. Like Saint-Pierre, Normagomedov has long been focused on a goal — a goal with constantly changing parameters, you remember — if he can stop objects for a moment, he must. None of us know what Nourmagomedov’s exact state of mind was before his last fight. We have no way of knowing where his head will be tomorrow. Two years from now? Who’s to say he hasn’t climbed through the ranks to challenge his GOAT status, prompting him to dust off his Papakha for the final journey.

Is he the best ever? Does it apply? He wins any ot hot comparison at 155 pounds, and there are major versions of this BJ Pen, Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson, Eddie Alvarez, Shinya Ayoki, And the rest are light greats you want to throw in the mix. You can take about any fight from his career and use it as a snapshot for being a relentless winner. The most controversial fight of his career, the fantastic battle Gleason Tibau At UFC 148, Noormagomedov ended 30-27 out of three judges. Even at his “worst”, Normagomedov was a big hit.

UFC 254 Normagomedov at the peak of his powers. He looked up after reminding everyone what it would be like if he wore his gloves when he laid hands on his opponents. If you want to ask what he was still able to do, ask if this retirement is contagious, but one thing you can’t question is man’s time. After another flawless performance, no one can argue that “The Eagle” did not pick as much point as possible to soar into the sunset.