Khabib Nurmagomedov penned a touching tribute to his late father Abdulmanap following UFC 254 on Saturday.
Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje via second-round submission to unify the lightweight titles and remain undefeated at 29-0.
He was clearly emotional following the victory as he was in tears before later going on to announce his retirement from the sport much to the surprise of many in the combat sports world.
“The Eagle” explained that he promised his mother this would be the last fight he would compete in without his father before calling it a day.
Nurmagomedov: May Allah Grant You The Highest Paradise
And following the event, Nurmagomedov took to social media to pay tribute to his father and thank him for everything.
“When ALLAH with you, nobody can broke you, nobody 👊⚔️
Thanks Father for everything, you teach all my life, may ALLAH grant you the highest Paradise 🤲”
Nurmagomedov’s father, of course, passed away in July due to complications from COVID-19 in addition to a pre-existing heart condition.
Given the pair’s close relationship to each other, it was a miracle that Nurmagomedov even competed again a few months afterward, let alone ever compete.
And while many fighters have retired before in the heat of the moment only to return later on, many observers believe Nurmagomedov is different and will be sticking with his decision.
