Conor McGregor Really Retired? Why Khabib Nurmagomedov Isn’t Buying It

Conor McGregor announced last week he was retiring from mixed martial arts, but not everyone believes the former UFC champion.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, for one, has his doubts.

“I don’t think he’s finished,” Nurmagomedov said Tuesday in his native Russia at a Moscow university, according to The Associated Press.

Nurmagomedov’s comments echo the sentiments of UFC president Dana White, who said over the weekend he didn’t believe McGregor was done competing inside the octagon.

McGregor has been lobbying for an ownership stake in UFC, but the company hasn’t yet shown a willingness to meet those demands. It’s possible his recent “retirement” is a power play designed to improve his compensation.

“(McGregor) couldn’t reach a deal with the UFC, and it’s so they feel they’ve lost him and they could lose money,” Nurmagomedov said, per The AP.

Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 229 last October, after which a chaotic brawl broke out at T-Mobile Arena when Nurmagomedov jumped over the cage and attacked a member of McGregor’s camp.

Neither fighter has fought since then, although White recently said he expects Nurmagomedov to return in September, perhaps against the winner of next month’s Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier bout.