Khabib Nurmagomedov, the renowned former UFC lightweight champion, admitted that his childhood dream was to become a football player.
The athlete noted that football has always held an important place in his life and remained his priority sport. Nurmagomedov emphasized that his path to mixed martial arts was not spontaneous — this decision was largely influenced by his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who was his coach.
After retiring from fighting in October 2020 following his victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, Khabib officially announced his departure from sports in March 2021. However, he remained active in the MMA world, taking on the role of a coach.
Under his guidance, both UFC fighters and athletes from other promotions compete, including PFL champion Usman Nurmagomedov. Previously, Khabib stated his intention to completely leave MMA after the careers of his protégés — Islam Makhachev, Umar, and Usman Nurmagomedov — come to an end.
