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Khabib Nurmagomedov's status as a retired fighter has been put into question multiple times. After UFC 254, Dana White refused to accept the fact that the Russian called it quits and claimed that he would be fighting to reach 30-0.
It's an interesting position Khabib Nurmagomedov is in and certainly one that gives him financial leverage for another fight. On an Instagram post, Khabib Nurmagomedov put out a cryptic message saying, "See you soon, Dana White", further adding speculation.
In an appearance on Real Quick with Mike Swick, Khabib Nurmagomedov's coach Javier Mendez said that he had no discussion about a return to the Octagon and said it's a personal matter. However, he said that he's "100% not out":
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"I'm not going to discuss it with him. That's between him and his mother and real family. I'm just a coach. As far as I'm concerned, that's a family matter. Things you and I know, when you test for USADA, you're still in the system. You're not retired. He just tested. The cryptic message that he left - who knows what that means? 100% I can tell you this - it means that he's not out. I don't know anything else, and I'm not going to ask him"
Mendez said that only Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and possibly Ali Abdelaziz know about his next move inside the Octagon:
Khabib never lies. Whatever it is, only him and Dana know. I sure as heck don't know.
Will Khabib Nurmagomedov return for 30-0?
A perfect 30-0 record is a great motivation for Khabib Nurmagomedov to return, but there doesn't seem to be anyone pushing him towards it. A fight against Georges St-Pierre might be the only one to bring him back to the Octagon and if UFC can get it done, that would be the biggest money fight they could have in 2021.
It's hard to imagine it happening without a crowd, however. It isn't yet known when UFC plans to ease back crowds into the arenas, but a fight of that caliber could be delayed to host a crowd.
Either way, it seems like a "never say never" situation with Khabib Nurmagomedov and it wouldn't be surprising to see him return to the Octagon soon.
