A rib injury has once again forced Khabib Nurmagomedov out of action, costing him his spot against Tony Ferguson whom he was supposed to face at The Ultimate Fighter 22 this coming December.
This becomes the third major injury for Nurmagomedov in just two years and such has apparently dampened his spirits and led him to question whether or not he could still make a return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) circle.
So, is he hinting at retirement? Seeing the series of events that he has been involved in, it is understandable that the Eagle is frustrated at this latest setback. But giving up this early may not necessarily be the way he wants to go with the dominant performance he has been churning when healthy.
Ranked second in the NOS Energy Drink MMA lightweight rankings, Nurmagomedov last made an appearance in the Octagon on April 2014. It was a lopsided win for the Eagle over Rafael dos Anjos and injuries set in.
After that fight, he suffered a knee injury which required surgery. He was scheduled to make a return last May but another knee injury prevented him from doing so. And now, a rib injury has cropped up which in all has left the Dagestan fighter pretty much frustrated.
On whether Nurmagomedov is serious or not is beyond us, but it is obvious that his inability to return to the Octagon has become disheartening on his end. Things could eventually change once he does get over this latest injury and he could be singing a different tune by that time.
Besides, Nurmagomedov is only 27 years old. He is still young and obviously someone who has impressed in the UFC circle. Giving up this early could be wasted opportunity so for now, it seems that his words are all done more out of frustration rather than factual reasoning.
Is he done with the UFC? For now, it seems hardly believable.
