Dana White: Khabib Nurmagomedov is “one of the best guys to deal with in the sport”

UFC President Dana White says Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the best fighters he’s dealt with in mixed martial arts.

Nurmagomedov last fought in October, when he defended the UFC lightweight title with a second-round submission victory over Justin Gaethje. After that fight, he announced his retirement from MMA.

Despite Nurmagomedov’s retirement announcement, White has been adamant that the champion can be convinced to return for one last fight. The pair met face-to-face in Abu Dhabi to discuss that possibility last week, and after the meeting, White has nothing but praise for the the lightweight champion.

“He’s one of the best guys to deal with in the sport,” White told The National in Abu Dhabi. “He’s a good guy. His priorities, heart and head are all in the right place. He still trains every day. He trains with all his guys, he’s in great shape.”

White also shed some more light on what was actually discussed in his meeting with Nurmagomedov, reiterating that he encouraged the Russian to take some time before committing to retirement.

“I think that the last time he fought here [in Abu Dhabi], the tremendous pressure that he was under, the injury that he had to train through, his father passing away and having to go in camp and leave his family… just all of those things led to him saying ‘I’m wrapping it up’ when I think that he was a little premature. I gave him the opportunity to take his time, not to make this decision right now. Go heal up physically, mentally, and emotionally, go spend time with your family, and we’ll talk about this later.”

Given the way they seem to respect each other, do you think Dana White will be able to convince Khabib Nurmagomedov to fight one more time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.