Khabib After Conor McGregor's Retirement: There Can Be Only 1 King in the Jungle
March 26, 2019
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has responded to Conor McGregor's retirement announcement with a social-media post stating: "There can be only one king in the jungle."
The Russian beat McGregor in an acrimonious bout in what stands to be the Irishman's last in MMA following his Tuesday announcement:
Conor McGregor @TheNotoriousMMAHey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today. I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!
Nurmagomedov was never likely to wish his nemesis well and posted his response to the news on Twitter:
There is understandable scepticism as to whether McGregor's announcement is for real:
The former two-weight champion announced he was calling time on his career in April 2016 but ended up fighting twice more before the year was over.
If it does prove to be the end of the line for the 30-year-old, he will bow out of MMA with a 21-4 record:
His loss to Khabib came via a fourth-round submission that saw "the Eagle" defend his lightweight belt and extend his record to 27-0.
A rematch between the pair would have been a huge draw, but McGregor looks to have ended any chance of the pair meeting again.
Nurmagomedov was recently called out by Nate Diaz, who last fought in an August 2016 loss via majority decision to McGregor at welterweight.