Khabib Nurmagomedov Passes On $100 Million Fight With Floyd Mayweather

Photo: Khabib Nurmagomedov (Instagram)

After Khabib Nurmagomedov retired, many fans hoped he would return for one last fight. UFC President Dana White even tried to bring him back to the octagon to achieve a perfect 30-0 record, a dream of Khabib's late father. However, Khabib stayed retired.

Recently, there was talk of Khabib trying something new: a boxing match against Floyd Mayweather. The idea excited many, especially since such a fight could have earned Khabib a huge payday—up to $100 million. But during an appearance on the "Inspire Me" podcast on August 25, Khabib made it clear that he wasn’t interested. “Right now, no. Right now, you know, it’s like everybody know, I am not a boxer,” he said.

Unlike his rival Conor McGregor, who fought Mayweather in 2017 and reportedly earned around $130 million, Khabib isn’t tempted by the money. He pointed out that even though people doubt his striking ability, he has always dominated in the octagon. In 29 MMA fights, including 13 in the UFC, Khabib never bled or got seriously hurt.

Photo: Khabib Nurmagomedov (Instagram)

The idea of Khabib boxing isn’t new. Back in 2020, Khabib even challenged Mayweather to a mixed fight—11 rounds of boxing and 1 round of MMA. Khabib was confident that in the MMA round, he would take Mayweather down and defeat him. There were even offers from Saudi Arabia worth $100 million to make this happen. But the fight never took place.

At one point, Mayweather was reportedly eager to fight Khabib, even texting with Khabib’s manager about it. Mayweather responded on social media, saying he was ready for any challenge. But many believed that Khabib’s strength—his wrestling—wouldn't help him in a boxing match.

In the end, the fight didn’t happen. Just like another highly anticipated fight in Khabib’s career—his fight against Tony Ferguson. That fight was canceled five times due to various issues, including injuries and the pandemic. Many fans still regret not seeing that matchup.

So, while Khabib could have made a fortune fighting Mayweather, he seems content with his decision to stay retired and undefeated.

Read Next: Oleksandr Usyk Responds To Sparring Rumors: "Don't Believe Everything You Hear"

Source: Essentially Sports 

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