"Nothing and nobody" - Khabib Nurmagomedov slams the door on a return to the octagon

Khabib Nurmagomedov has poured cold water on the chances of him returning to the octagon.

The former lightweight champion is instead focused on his role as a coach, with his new goal to aid his teammates in their own pursuits for UFC gold.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA's Marc Raimondi, Khabib Nurmagomedov discussed the intriguing upcoming lightweight title fight between Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier.

He acknowledged that Poirier is slightly favored to win, but noted that it will be a very interesting fight to watch. However, when asked if it was intriguing enough to prompt him to return to the division, 'The Eagle' said:

"Honestly, no. Nothing and nobody. Nothing and nobody. You know, we have goal to take back this belt. And his name is Islam Makhachev. He have to take belt back to Dagestan, you know, and I truly believe him. I truly believe his skill. He can do this and I really believe next. like, end of next year, we're gonna take this belt home."

You can check out ESPN MMA's full interview with Khabib Nurmagomedov below:

---

The state of the lightweight division since Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement

When Khabib Nurmagomedov retired in 2020, he left the top of the 155-pound division in a state of flux. However, over the past year it has stabilized, with a new champion, a clear number one contender and several top-ranked fighters waiting in the wings for a shot at the belt.

Charles Oliveira captured the title by defeating Michael Chandler earlier this year. He is now set to defend it against Dustin Poirier, who has already picked up two wins in 2021, both over former champion and rival of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor.

Justin Gaethje, meanwhile, recently secured a unanimous decision victory over Michael Chandler, which will likely see him face the winner of Oliveira vs. Poirier.

It was recently announced that Beneil Dariush and the afore-mentioned Islam Makhachev will face off in 2022, likely setting the winner up for a title shot in the fall of next year.