Conor McGregor thinks there’s a lot more to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement.

The former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion questions Nurmagomedov’s decision to walk away from the sport and says a lot has to do with avoiding a potential rematch between the two.

Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) hung up his gloves after defending his belt against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October. “The Eagle” cited a promise made to his mother to stop fighting following the death of his father, coach and mentor Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, earlier in 2020, as the reason he was no longer going to continue in MMA.

McGregor (22-4 MMA, 10-2 UFC) thinks there’s more to that decision.

Conor Mcgregor before vs after Khabib fightConor Mcgregor before vs after Khabib fightConor Mcgregor before vs after Khabib fight. Khabib Nurmagomedov. 0 0 7 of 9 6 of 7 77% 85% 18 of 21 39 of 40 1 of 2 0 of 0 50% - 0 0 0 0 4:08 0:00 Round 2 Khabib Nurmagomedov. 0 0 41 of 60 5 of 13 68% 38% 58 of 78 7 of 17 1 of 1 0 of 0 100%. When Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor step into the octagon on October 6, only one fighter will walk away as the true king of the lightweight division. Not only does Dana White want Khabib Nurmagomedov to fight again, but the goal is to make the Conor McGregor rematch. The UFC boss knows that is a big fight, and believes it is a much different.

“I think he’s afraid to fight me, that’s for damn sure,” McGregor told ESPN. “I don’t blame him. I know exactly what to face. I fought the best of him that night and he fought the worst of me that night. He knows it, I know it, his team knows it.

“I have the answer to destroy that man. He can pull the wool over people’s eyes only for so long, but it is what it is. I know there’s surrounding things regarding the family. If he’s retired then that’s it I wish him well. But I am who I am and I’m at the top and time will show.”

McGregor returns to the octagon Saturday against Dustin Poirier in a lightweight bout. The rematch headlines UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.

McGregor and Nurmagomedov fought in 2018 at UFC 229. Nurmagomedov submitted the Irishman in the fourth round in a dominant showing. Right after the bout, a brawl erupted between the two teams that resulted in multiple suspensions.

McGregor doesn’t understand Nurmagomedov’s decision to retire from MMA. Even if it’s not for a rematch against him, McGregor thinks there are many challenges left at 155 pounds.

“I think his hand is showing he’s not a true fighter, in my opinion,” McGregor said. “I mean how could you retire? How could you walk away? There’s so many fights to be had.

“Think of (Nate) Diaz, (Tony) Ferguson, there’s (Charles) Oliveira, the rematch with me. I think it’s just preposterous to walk away. Not only did he (expletive) on the bus, I think he (expletive) on the chips, also. I think he showed his hand, but then at the same time, there’s family issues. So it is what it is. All the best.”

Nurmagomedov told UFC president Dana White he could be interested in coming back to the sport depending on what happens in the lightweight bouts going down at UFC 257. Apart from McGregor vs. Poirier 2, former Bellator champion Michael Chandler makes his UFC debut against Dan Hooker. There’s also top contender Charles Oliveira who’s coming off a dominant win against Tony Ferguson.

McGregor wants the Nurmagomedov rematch, but he’s not losing any sleep over it.

“I’m here for it. I would like it,” McGregor said. “But if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. I wonder what he’s going to say. Like I said, he can only pull wool over someone’s eyes for so long.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov may have announced his retirement in the Octagon this past October, but UFC president Dana White has never given up hope for the lightweight champion to fight one final time. Now, White is preparing to make another big pitch to get Nurmagomedov back in the cage.

'I'm obviously meeting with him because I think that he should fight again,' White told ESPN. 'Look at what he did to Justin Gaethje. Look at what he's done to every opponent he has faced. ... I think he should fight again and I'm going to press him as hard as I can for one more.'

Nurmagomedov announced his retirement in a surprise move following his UFC 254 title defense against Gaethje. The win improved Nurmagomedov's record to 29-0. Nurmagomedov and his father, Abdulmanap, had long stated their goal was for Khabib to retire with a perfect 30-0 record. Those plans changed, Nurmagomedov said, when his father -- who also served as the champ's coach for his entire career -- died due to COVID-19 complications over the summer.

'This was my last fight,' Khabib Nurmagomedov said following his win over Gaethje. 'No way am I going to come here without my father. ... I promised [my mother] it will be my last fight. If I give my word, I have to follow this.'

Nurmagomedov was awarded a medal in his native Dagestan for honoring his promise to his mother and doubled down on his retirement at the time, saying, 'You can fight until you're 40 but there should be a goal. I had a goal to reach the summit and I got there. Further, I have no competitive interest. Next year I will graduate. I'd like to [build on] my thesis, do a masters course, dedicate more time to studying. I've bought sheep, I tend to my farm. I'd like to develop in this field a little. I have the bull calves out to feed, I have cows.'

Khabib And Conor Fight

Still, White has repeatedly said he plans to press Nurmagomedov to fight one last time. The newest push is directly related to the Jan. 23 return of Conor McGregor. McGregor and Nurmagomedov fought in October 2018, with Nurmagomedov submitting McGregor in the fourth round of a one-sided fight that broke company records for most PPV buys, according to White.

Khabib Vs Conor Mcgregor Fight Dates 2019

The tension between Nurmagomedov and McGregor spilled over after the fight when a wild brawl broke out between the camps for both fighters. Nurmagomedov has staunchly refused to acknowledge McGregor as a contender since that fight, stating that the Irishman has not won a fight at lightweight since 2016 and that he is in the back of the line.

Khabib Vs Conor Mcgregor Fight Dated

At UFC 257, McGregor will return for the first time in a year when he fights Dustin Poirier. A win would put McGregor back in line as a potential title challenger, and White wants to run the big money fight between Nurmagomedov and McGregor back one more time.

'As a promoter, you always want to see the best guys in the world, but at the same time, when a guy wants to retire, he probably should,' White said. 'The difference with a guy like Khabib is he's been through so much, and losing his dad was a major blow to him. Yet, his dad wanted him to hit 30-0.

Khabib Vs Conor Mcgregor Fight Date Today

'No matter what you think of Conor personally, Conor McGregor is not only one of the best in the world, but one of the best to ever do it. And right now, he's as focused as he's ever been. I don't know if this is going to be the same Conor after the Poirier fight, but if this Conor sticks around for the next year, how do you not do Khabib vs. Conor again?'