“No way I’m going to come here without my father. It was first time after what happened with my father, when UFC called me about Justin, I talk with my mother three days. She doesn’t want me to go fight without my father but I promised her it was going to be my last fight. If I give my word, I have to follow this. It was my last fight here,” said Khabib Nurmagomedov after he defeated Gaethje by a triangle choke to remain 29-0.

Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov notably competed in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was the UFC Lightweight Champion from April 2018 until his retirement.

With 29 wins and no losses, he retired with an undefeated record. As of 9 September 2020, he is the second in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. As of 2 October 2020, Fight Matrix ranks him as the second lightweight of all time (behind B.J. Penn).

Nurmagomedov was the first Muslim to win a UFC title. A two-time Combat Sambo World Champion, he is trained in sambo, judo, and wrestling.

His style of grappling has made him one of the most dominant athletes in the history of MMA.

Nurmagomedov is the most followed Russian celebrity on Instagram, with more than 23 million followers. (ILKHA)