Well, the day has finally come. Following the conclusion of his UFC 254 bout with Justin Gaethje, Khabib announced he would keep his promise to his mother and retire, doing so with a perfect record of 29-0. "The Eagle" has soared all the way to the top of the lightweight division and has impressive victories on his resume, including Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and the previously mentioned Justin Gaethje.
Khabib tears up after a victory against Justin Gaethje in October at UFC 254/ via metro.co.uk
However, after announcing his retirement, UFC President Dana White has tried to do everything in his power to stop this from happening. He's had multiple sit down dinners with Khabib to discuss potential bouts and what could happen moving forward, but nothing came out of it. White, after months of pursuing Khabib, has finally announced he is recognizing Khabib's retirement via social media. MMA fans around the world knew this day was coming, but it just feels different to know that it is finally official.
With Khabib now retired and no one to hold the strap in the 155 pound division, a vacant title now awaits a new champion. Wasting no time, the UFC has offered the vacant title fight to Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler for UFC 262's main event in May. Both men are true and grizzled veterans of the sport and the world will watch to see who will claim the throne that once belonged to Khabib.
It seems as though that the loss of his beloved father, who was his number one supporter, was enough to propel him to make this decision. He officially retires with one of the best careers in MMA history and will truly be remembered for his ability to "smesh" his opponents with ease. He will be missed, but never forgotten.
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