"I feel it in my core now" - British female MMA fighter empathizes with Khabib Nurmagomedov's decision to retire after losing his father

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov's decision to retire after losing his father received validation from a British female mixed martial artist.

Sammy-Jo Luxton, a 25-year-old, who fights out of Devon, England took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to announce the death of her father and mourn his loss. She referenced Nurmagomedov's retirement after his father's loss and strongly related to his sentiments.

Luxton also mentioned that her father had been alongside her for 74 fights and that she will miss his presence in her future fights. She wrote:

"Never understood Khabib retiring when his dad died, I feel it in my core now. 74 fights and was by my side for every single one. Not worried about the fights cause I'll KO 99% of girls on my worst days, but the thought of him not being there hurts me. I'll make you proud dad."

'The Ghetto Cinderella' is signed to the PFL and is set to feature on the women's flyweight roster in the upcoming season.

Check out Sammy-Jo Luxton's post on X below:

'The Eagle' tragically lost his father and lifelong coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, in July 2020 after being diagnosed with COVID-19. In his very next fight against Justin Gaethje, Nurmagomedov swiftly submitted his opponent and unexpectedly announced his retirement from the sport.

Nurmagomedov offered only two reasons for his retirement; he did not want to continue without his father by his side and the promise he made to his mom to quit the sport.

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement announcement at UFC 254:

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Arman Tsarukyan credits Khabib Nurmagomedov for Islam Makhachev's championship

No.1-ranked lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan took a dig at Islam Makhachev's championship by putting it down to his association with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Tsarukyan also compared the level of their past opposition and made the case for him having defeated better fighters. In an interview with Sport Express, he said:

"My opposition is better [than Islam's]. Look, who did Islam beat from the top 15 to fight for the title? Bobby Green wasn't even in the top 15. He beat Hooker in the top 15 and... [Drew Dober] was never even in the top 10. We must not forget who is behind Islam and who is behind me. If Khabib had pushed me, I would have fought for the title after Dariush."

Tsarukyan defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 to cement his position as the top contender, but will have to wait for his title shot until after Makhachev's title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.

Check out Arman Tsarukyan's comments on Khabib Nurmagomedov below: