Dana White believes Khabib Nurmagomedov could have become the "greatest ever" if he hadn't retired at 29-0

Dana White believes Khabib Nurmagomedov could have become the greatest MMA fighter of all time if he had not retired when he did.

Khabib called an end to his fighting career in 2020 after going 29-0 and recording three UFC lightweight title defenses.

'The Eagle' was dominant throughout his MMA career and had his hand raised 13 times inside the UFC octagon. The Dagestani overcame high-level opposition, including Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Al Iaquinta.

However, after his father passed away in 2020, Khabib announced that his title fight with Justin Gaethje would be his final UFC fight, a promise he made to his mother.

Speaking on an episode of The Fight with Teddy Atlas, Dana White stated:

"I think Khabib Nurmagomedov, probably you know, could be called the greatest ever, who knows, if he would've stuck around longer. It was unfortunate, the passing of his father. And you know, he's just got to a point in his life where you know how that goes too. Guys, when you got so much f***ing money man. And it just, it changes everything. The fight business is a tough business to get up and go to every day when you got that type of money."

Check out Teddy Atlas' full interview with Dana White below:

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Khabib Nurmagomedov's successor in the UFC

Whilst Khabib Nurmagomedov may no longer be competing as a fighter in the UFC, he is still very much involved in the sport of MMA. 'The Eagle' has embraced a coaching role, aiding a number of exciting talent from Dagestan reach the top of the sport.

Islam Makhachev sits at the top of the pack. He's likely now only one victory away from a shot at the UFC lightweight title. He's set to take on Beneil Dariush in February 2022, with the winner almost guaranteed to fight for the belt next.

While Khabib's influence in the sport is no longer by way of in-cage performances, he's certainly helping the next generation of talent from his region make a similar-sized splash in the sport.