It would have been the perfect time to retire even if his father, Abdulmanap, had been standing behind him with a reassuring arm on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s shoulder.
How could the UFC lightweight champion possibly top what he did Saturday at Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi when he choked out interim champion Justin Gaethje in the second round of their title bout in the main event of UFC 254?
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov wasn’t there at his son’s side Saturday, though judging by the way Khabib fought, he was there in spirit. Abdulmanap was one of the more than a million worldwide victims of COVID-19, lost at 57 years old with much still to give the world.