"We are looking to win an Oscar" - Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals documentary project details

Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed a few notable details regarding his documentary project.

Reigning UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov put on one of the most dominant performances of his MMA career in his UFC 254 (October 24, 2020) fight against Justin Gaethje. Nurmagomedov defeated Gaethje via second-round submission, unified the UFC lightweight title, and then retired from the sport of MMA.

However, after the fight, it was revealed that Khabib had been dealing with a toe injury and other health issues, which had adversely affected his training in the lead-up to UFC 254.

Speaking to Magomed Ismailov (*video courtesy: RT Sport MMA), Khabib recalled the problems he faced in the buildup to his UFC 254 fight against Justin Gaethje.

Khabib Nurmagomedov noted that on September 9, 2020, he fell ill and subsequently had to deal with mumps. The Eagle added that his face was swollen, which is why he was wearing a mask that even covered his beard.

“It started on September 9th, in the morning. So, I woke up and realized that I got sick. And the next day – on the 10th – we took off because I had to fight on October 24th. It all got worse during the flight. On arrival to Abu Dhabi, I had a temperature. It was getting worse and worse, so they took me to a hospital. I spent five days in an intensive care unit. I felt really bad then. I only started training on the 24th of September; 15 days without a single training session, and it was not just a rest. I felt really sick. So, we started training on September 24th. And on October 7th, I broke my toe. We will soon release a video. Actually, it’s part of a big documentary, so I don’t want to unveil it now. We are working on this documentary now. So, it will be there along with the sparrings we had with Gadzhi there.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov also shed light upon when the documentary will be released.

“It will take around a year and a half to put it together. And we are looking to win an Oscar. It’s not just about making a 20-minute video and posting it. We are cooperating with people from Hollywood.”

And upon being asked whether there are any plans for organizing preview shows for the documentary, Khabib said:

“No, it will have some real footage. And how is it called…”

The question was then rephrased, with Magomed Ismailov asking whether there’ll be private screenings for the documentary. Khabib responded:

“No, we are not. It will be shown in movie theaters. Because…I believe it’s a good story – A young guy from the mountains who became the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Never been defeated, you know.”

"This is my last fight."@TeamKhabib pays his respects following a dominant performance at #UFC254 pic.twitter.com/5HiUvJXBJC

— UFC (@ufc) October 24, 2020

Khabib Nurmagomedov reiterated that the challenges he faced in the buildup to UFC 254 will be a part of the larger story of the documentary. It will chronicle his life, right from being a young star from the mountains of Dagestan to becoming the world’s greatest pound-for-pound fighter.

Is Khabib Nurmagomedov returning to MMA?

Khabib Nurmagomedov (left); Georges St-Pierre (right)

The consensus is that if Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t return to MMA and compete in the UFC’s famed Octagon this year, he’ll either vacate or be stripped of the UFC lightweight title.

Despite the MMA world being rife with rumors of Khabib coming back to fight Georges St-Pierre, Nurmagomedov has clarified that he isn’t looking to compete as a professional MMA fighter again.