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The president of Eagle FC has addressed the reported MMA departure of the promotion’s founder, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In-cage, Khabib achieved an unheralded feat, retiring in 2020 having gone unbeaten throughout his entire professional career. The Russian called time on his active stint in the sport after defending the 155-pound gold against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, a result that marked his third successful retention and extended his unblemished record to 29-0.
And post-retirement, Khabib’s influence and success in the sport hasn’t faltered. Be it through the creation of his own organization, the victories for a host of his students, or Islam Makhachev‘s championship crowning last October, “The Eagle” has excelled outside the Octagon.
Now, though, it appears that the Dagestani’s combat sports résumé has been largely completed. This month, it emerged that Khabib is planning on stepping back from his commitments in MMA in order to spend more time with his family.
While some were skeptical about the reports, as many were when the lightweight great first hung up his gloves, the move took a step closer to reality when it was confirmed that Khabib won’t be in the corner for Makhachev’s upcoming defense against Alexander Volkanovski.
Since the news came out, a host of prominent figures have given their takes on Khabib’s MMA exit, the latest of whom is certainly close to home for the UFC legend.
President: ‘Eagle FC Will Fall Without Khabib’
During a recent interview with Ushatayka, Eagle FC President Shamil Zavurov gave his assessment of Khabib’s plans moving forward, and how they might affect the future of his promotion.
Zavurov began by suggesting that reports of Khabib’s decision to leave the entire industry have been exaggerated by the media. He did, however, support the claim that travel and frequent separation from his family during training camps has led to the decision to pull back from his compatriots’ fight preparations.
“Well, as always, the media blows everything out of proportion,” Zavurov said. “Always this happens. I myself have been reading a lot of things… So understand me: I always knew that sooner or later things would come to this. Khabib simply gathered the guys and explained to them that in the past year he had not missed one competition… Well, we have a big team… The guys are always competing and training.
“So he took a look at the situation, weighed it out, and realized that in the past year he was only home 2-3 months. All the other time he was traveling to competitions, matches, trainings… These aren’t one or two day trainings. Some take a month, two weeks, three weeks, you have to move around with them,” Zavurov continued. “So he thought about it, sat down, and decided that to not offend any of the guys he would tell them that they are all now real professionals and have achieved great results…. If you go with one guy, you can’t go with another guy.”
But while Zavurov noted that Khabib does plan on spending more time with his relatives and avoiding the harsh schedule that training so many fighters brought with it, he doesn’t believe it’s possible for “The Eagle” to leave the sport altogether.
“He’s going to be spending a bit more time with his family. That’s all it is. With that of course, as you can imagine, it was quickly blown out of proportion that he was leaving. Where would he go?” Zavurov questioned.
“He has his own MMA school. He’s opening his base in the mountains. His brothers, cousins, and nephews are all there. His cousins are competing. So to just leave? Of course, like things were before, there won’t be a time like that again. But to just leave, I don’t think is possible.”
Although Khabib’s status and presence moving forward still appears somewhat uncertain, Zavurov is hoping that one water that the former UFC lightweight champ keeps his toes dipped in is Eagle FC.
If he doesn’t, Zavurov says the promotion will “fall apart.”
“We will continue our efforts in moving forward Eagle FC,” Zavurov insisted. “We understand that if Khabib leaves, the organization will fall apart tomorrow. Eagle FC depends on Khabib. So Eagle FC will go on. We will push it forward. We have so many young guys who are competing. So we don’t want to just stop and leave this behind. But if Eagle FC begins to take up a lot of his time, then of course the next day he’ll tell us, ‘Hey guys, sorry but this isn’t what I told the team I’d be stepping aside for.’
“So we’ll have to tread carefully in how much we ask of him. Free him up a little. Make sure not to overload him, and for myself as president, not to always call him over to every event. But Eagle FC is a promotion,” Zavurov added. “It would be difficult without Khabib. Not even difficult… it would fall apart. So we asked him to stay with us for now.”
Khabib established Eagle FC in 2020 after purchasing Gorilla Fighting Championship for $1 million. While the promotion has predominantly held events in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, it made its United States debut in 2022.
The organization hosted three events at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. As well as prominent MMA figures Chael Sonnen and Henry Cejudo featuring on commentary, the likes of Kevin Lee, Diego Sanchez, Junior dos Santos, Héctor Lombard, Ray Borg, and Rashad Evans competed on the cards.
The promotion has hosted one event since last August and isn’t currently advertising an upcoming card.
What are your thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s decision to step back from MMA in order to spend more time with family?
Quotes h/t Sambo Says.
The president of Eagle FC has addressed the reported MMA departure of the promotion’s founder, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In-cage, Khabib achieved an unheralded feat, retiring in 2020 having gone unbeaten throughout his entire professional career. The Russian called time on his active stint in the sport after defending the 155-pound gold against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, a result that marked his third successful retention and extended his unblemished record to 29-0.
And post-retirement, Khabib’s influence and success in the sport hasn’t faltered. Be it through the creation of his own organization, the victories for a host of his students, or Islam Makhachev‘s championship crowning last October, “The Eagle” has excelled outside the Octagon.
Now, though, it appears that the Dagestani’s combat sports résumé has been largely completed. This month, it emerged that Khabib is planning on stepping back from his commitments in MMA in order to spend more time with his family.
While some were skeptical about the reports, as many were when the lightweight great first hung up his gloves, the move took a step closer to reality when it was confirmed that Khabib won’t be in the corner for Makhachev’s upcoming defense against Alexander Volkanovski.
Since the news came out, a host of prominent figures have given their takes on Khabib’s MMA exit, the latest of whom is certainly close to home for the UFC legend.
President: ‘Eagle FC Will Fall Without Khabib’
During a recent interview with Ushatayka, Eagle FC President Shamil Zavurov gave his assessment of Khabib’s plans moving forward, and how they might affect the future of his promotion.
Zavurov began by suggesting that reports of Khabib’s decision to leave the entire industry have been exaggerated by the media. He did, however, support the claim that travel and frequent separation from his family during training camps has led to the decision to pull back from his compatriots’ fight preparations.
“Well, as always, the media blows everything out of proportion,” Zavurov said. “Always this happens. I myself have been reading a lot of things… So understand me: I always knew that sooner or later things would come to this. Khabib simply gathered the guys and explained to them that in the past year he had not missed one competition… Well, we have a big team… The guys are always competing and training.
“So he took a look at the situation, weighed it out, and realized that in the past year he was only home 2-3 months. All the other time he was traveling to competitions, matches, trainings… These aren’t one or two day trainings. Some take a month, two weeks, three weeks, you have to move around with them,” Zavurov continued. “So he thought about it, sat down, and decided that to not offend any of the guys he would tell them that they are all now real professionals and have achieved great results…. If you go with one guy, you can’t go with another guy.”
But while Zavurov noted that Khabib does plan on spending more time with his relatives and avoiding the harsh schedule that training so many fighters brought with it, he doesn’t believe it’s possible for “The Eagle” to leave the sport altogether.
“He’s going to be spending a bit more time with his family. That’s all it is. With that of course, as you can imagine, it was quickly blown out of proportion that he was leaving. Where would he go?” Zavurov questioned.
“He has his own MMA school. He’s opening his base in the mountains. His brothers, cousins, and nephews are all there. His cousins are competing. So to just leave? Of course, like things were before, there won’t be a time like that again. But to just leave, I don’t think is possible.”
[/quote]
Although Khabib’s status and presence moving forward still appears somewhat uncertain, Zavurov is hoping that one water that the former UFC lightweight champ keeps his toes dipped in is Eagle FC.
If he doesn’t, Zavurov says the promotion will “fall apart.”
“We will continue our efforts in moving forward Eagle FC,” Zavurov insisted. “We understand that if Khabib leaves, the organization will fall apart tomorrow. Eagle FC depends on Khabib. So Eagle FC will go on. We will push it forward. We have so many young guys who are competing. So we don’t want to just stop and leave this behind. But if Eagle FC begins to take up a lot of his time, then of course the next day he’ll tell us, ‘Hey guys, sorry but this isn’t what I told the team I’d be stepping aside for.’
“So we’ll have to tread carefully in how much we ask of him. Free him up a little. Make sure not to overload him, and for myself as president, not to always call him over to every event. But Eagle FC is a promotion,” Zavurov added. “It would be difficult without Khabib. Not even difficult… it would fall apart. So we asked him to stay with us for now.”
Khabib established Eagle FC in 2020 after purchasing Gorilla Fighting Championship for $1 million. While the promotion has predominantly held events in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, it made its United States debut in 2022.
The organization hosted three events at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. As well as prominent MMA figures Chael Sonnen and Henry Cejudo featuring on commentary, the likes of Kevin Lee, Diego Sanchez, Junior dos Santos, Héctor Lombard, Ray Borg, and Rashad Evans competed on the cards.
The promotion has hosted one event since last August and isn’t currently advertising an upcoming card.
What are your thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s decision to step back from MMA in order to spend more time with family?
Quotes h/t Sambo Says.
Click here to view the article.
In-cage, Khabib achieved an unheralded feat, retiring in 2020 having gone unbeaten throughout his entire professional career. The Russian called time on his active stint in the sport after defending the 155-pound gold against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, a result that marked his third successful retention and extended his unblemished record to 29-0.
And post-retirement, Khabib’s influence and success in the sport hasn’t faltered. Be it through the creation of his own organization, the victories for a host of his students, or Islam Makhachev‘s championship crowning last October, “The Eagle” has excelled outside the Octagon.
Now, though, it appears that the Dagestani’s combat sports résumé has been largely completed. This month, it emerged that Khabib is planning on stepping back from his commitments in MMA in order to spend more time with his family.
While some were skeptical about the reports, as many were when the lightweight great first hung up his gloves, the move took a step closer to reality when it was confirmed that Khabib won’t be in the corner for Makhachev’s upcoming defense against Alexander Volkanovski.
Since the news came out, a host of prominent figures have given their takes on Khabib’s MMA exit, the latest of whom is certainly close to home for the UFC legend.
President: ‘Eagle FC Will Fall Without Khabib’
During a recent interview with Ushatayka, Eagle FC President Shamil Zavurov gave his assessment of Khabib’s plans moving forward, and how they might affect the future of his promotion.
Zavurov began by suggesting that reports of Khabib’s decision to leave the entire industry have been exaggerated by the media. He did, however, support the claim that travel and frequent separation from his family during training camps has led to the decision to pull back from his compatriots’ fight preparations.
“Well, as always, the media blows everything out of proportion,” Zavurov said. “Always this happens. I myself have been reading a lot of things… So understand me: I always knew that sooner or later things would come to this. Khabib simply gathered the guys and explained to them that in the past year he had not missed one competition… Well, we have a big team… The guys are always competing and training.
“So he took a look at the situation, weighed it out, and realized that in the past year he was only home 2-3 months. All the other time he was traveling to competitions, matches, trainings… These aren’t one or two day trainings. Some take a month, two weeks, three weeks, you have to move around with them,” Zavurov continued. “So he thought about it, sat down, and decided that to not offend any of the guys he would tell them that they are all now real professionals and have achieved great results…. If you go with one guy, you can’t go with another guy.”
But while Zavurov noted that Khabib does plan on spending more time with his relatives and avoiding the harsh schedule that training so many fighters brought with it, he doesn’t believe it’s possible for “The Eagle” to leave the sport altogether.
“He’s going to be spending a bit more time with his family. That’s all it is. With that of course, as you can imagine, it was quickly blown out of proportion that he was leaving. Where would he go?” Zavurov questioned.
“He has his own MMA school. He’s opening his base in the mountains. His brothers, cousins, and nephews are all there. His cousins are competing. So to just leave? Of course, like things were before, there won’t be a time like that again. But to just leave, I don’t think is possible.”
Although Khabib’s status and presence moving forward still appears somewhat uncertain, Zavurov is hoping that one water that the former UFC lightweight champ keeps his toes dipped in is Eagle FC.
If he doesn’t, Zavurov says the promotion will “fall apart.”
“We will continue our efforts in moving forward Eagle FC,” Zavurov insisted. “We understand that if Khabib leaves, the organization will fall apart tomorrow. Eagle FC depends on Khabib. So Eagle FC will go on. We will push it forward. We have so many young guys who are competing. So we don’t want to just stop and leave this behind. But if Eagle FC begins to take up a lot of his time, then of course the next day he’ll tell us, ‘Hey guys, sorry but this isn’t what I told the team I’d be stepping aside for.’
“So we’ll have to tread carefully in how much we ask of him. Free him up a little. Make sure not to overload him, and for myself as president, not to always call him over to every event. But Eagle FC is a promotion,” Zavurov added. “It would be difficult without Khabib. Not even difficult… it would fall apart. So we asked him to stay with us for now.”
Khabib established Eagle FC in 2020 after purchasing Gorilla Fighting Championship for $1 million. While the promotion has predominantly held events in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, it made its United States debut in 2022.
The organization hosted three events at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. As well as prominent MMA figures Chael Sonnen and Henry Cejudo featuring on commentary, the likes of Kevin Lee, Diego Sanchez, Junior dos Santos, Héctor Lombard, Ray Borg, and Rashad Evans competed on the cards.
The promotion has hosted one event since last August and isn’t currently advertising an upcoming card.
What are your thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s decision to step back from MMA in order to spend more time with family?
Quotes h/t Sambo Says.
In-cage, Khabib achieved an unheralded feat, retiring in 2020 having gone unbeaten throughout his entire professional career. The Russian called time on his active stint in the sport after defending the 155-pound gold against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, a result that marked his third successful retention and extended his unblemished record to 29-0.
And post-retirement, Khabib’s influence and success in the sport hasn’t faltered. Be it through the creation of his own organization, the victories for a host of his students, or Islam Makhachev‘s championship crowning last October, “The Eagle” has excelled outside the Octagon.
Now, though, it appears that the Dagestani’s combat sports résumé has been largely completed. This month, it emerged that Khabib is planning on stepping back from his commitments in MMA in order to spend more time with his family.
While some were skeptical about the reports, as many were when the lightweight great first hung up his gloves, the move took a step closer to reality when it was confirmed that Khabib won’t be in the corner for Makhachev’s upcoming defense against Alexander Volkanovski.
Since the news came out, a host of prominent figures have given their takes on Khabib’s MMA exit, the latest of whom is certainly close to home for the UFC legend.
President: ‘Eagle FC Will Fall Without Khabib’
During a recent interview with Ushatayka, Eagle FC President Shamil Zavurov gave his assessment of Khabib’s plans moving forward, and how they might affect the future of his promotion.
Zavurov began by suggesting that reports of Khabib’s decision to leave the entire industry have been exaggerated by the media. He did, however, support the claim that travel and frequent separation from his family during training camps has led to the decision to pull back from his compatriots’ fight preparations.
“Well, as always, the media blows everything out of proportion,” Zavurov said. “Always this happens. I myself have been reading a lot of things… So understand me: I always knew that sooner or later things would come to this. Khabib simply gathered the guys and explained to them that in the past year he had not missed one competition… Well, we have a big team… The guys are always competing and training.
“So he took a look at the situation, weighed it out, and realized that in the past year he was only home 2-3 months. All the other time he was traveling to competitions, matches, trainings… These aren’t one or two day trainings. Some take a month, two weeks, three weeks, you have to move around with them,” Zavurov continued. “So he thought about it, sat down, and decided that to not offend any of the guys he would tell them that they are all now real professionals and have achieved great results…. If you go with one guy, you can’t go with another guy.”
But while Zavurov noted that Khabib does plan on spending more time with his relatives and avoiding the harsh schedule that training so many fighters brought with it, he doesn’t believe it’s possible for “The Eagle” to leave the sport altogether.
“He’s going to be spending a bit more time with his family. That’s all it is. With that of course, as you can imagine, it was quickly blown out of proportion that he was leaving. Where would he go?” Zavurov questioned.
“He has his own MMA school. He’s opening his base in the mountains. His brothers, cousins, and nephews are all there. His cousins are competing. So to just leave? Of course, like things were before, there won’t be a time like that again. But to just leave, I don’t think is possible.”
[/quote]
Although Khabib’s status and presence moving forward still appears somewhat uncertain, Zavurov is hoping that one water that the former UFC lightweight champ keeps his toes dipped in is Eagle FC.
If he doesn’t, Zavurov says the promotion will “fall apart.”
“We will continue our efforts in moving forward Eagle FC,” Zavurov insisted. “We understand that if Khabib leaves, the organization will fall apart tomorrow. Eagle FC depends on Khabib. So Eagle FC will go on. We will push it forward. We have so many young guys who are competing. So we don’t want to just stop and leave this behind. But if Eagle FC begins to take up a lot of his time, then of course the next day he’ll tell us, ‘Hey guys, sorry but this isn’t what I told the team I’d be stepping aside for.’
“So we’ll have to tread carefully in how much we ask of him. Free him up a little. Make sure not to overload him, and for myself as president, not to always call him over to every event. But Eagle FC is a promotion,” Zavurov added. “It would be difficult without Khabib. Not even difficult… it would fall apart. So we asked him to stay with us for now.”
Khabib established Eagle FC in 2020 after purchasing Gorilla Fighting Championship for $1 million. While the promotion has predominantly held events in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, it made its United States debut in 2022.
The organization hosted three events at the FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. As well as prominent MMA figures Chael Sonnen and Henry Cejudo featuring on commentary, the likes of Kevin Lee, Diego Sanchez, Junior dos Santos, Héctor Lombard, Ray Borg, and Rashad Evans competed on the cards.
The promotion has hosted one event since last August and isn’t currently advertising an upcoming card.
What are your thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s decision to step back from MMA in order to spend more time with family?
Quotes h/t Sambo Says.
Click here to view the article.
