Anatoly Malykhin shares what he admires the most about Khabib Nurmagomedov: "He simply stepped aside"

On the subject of MMA fighters retiring in MMA, Anatoly Malykhin has a lot of respect for the fighter who left the sport whilst he was still at the pinnacle.

Following the tragic passing of his father and coach Abdulmanap, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov announced that he would be retiring and vacating his title.

Leaving his undefeated record intact and a stellar legacy behind, 'The Eagle' is an incredibly rare example.

ONE Championship's three-weight world champion says that the aspect of Nurmagomedov's decision to retire that he admires most is his decision to step away from the spotlight.

In the absence of 'The Eagle', his close friend and training partner Islam Makhachev now reigns over the lightweight division.

Malykhin spoke about this in a recent interview with Red Corner MMA and shared his respect for the way that Khabib walked away so that Makhachev could achieve his own legacy:

"Khabib is a unique example. He saved his health and his mind. You know what I like about Khabib? When Islam Makhachev started winning, he simply stepped aside. He didn't get into his corner. Khabib understood that it was Islam's time, and that wherever he showed up, the spotlight would shift to him, 'Khabib, Khabib, Khabib,' and Islam was left in the shadows."

Watch the full interview below:

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Anatoly Malykhin is crafting a legacy of his own

Just like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev, Anatoly Malykhin is working hard to craft a legacy of his own.

He has already achieved this by writing his name into the history books as the first-ever three-weight world champion.

Malykhin now looks to continue adding more chapters to his incredible accomplishments by defending all three titles whilst staying undefeated.

His next test comes in his US debut as he defends the heavyweight title against Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane in the main event of ONE 169 in Atlanta on November 8.