Daily Times

LONDON: After conquering the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) arena, Russian champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has turned his eyes towards football. In an Instagram post, the Russian boxer made the announcement that he is a “free agent” and is “ready to accept offers”. “Preparing for my football debut. I’m [a] free agent, and ready to accept offers,” said 32-year-old Khabib. The post included him running in an unidentified area. Last year, Khabib ended his fighting career after his win over Justin Gaethje, improving his record to an unblemished 29-0. Still just 32, the fans, media personnel and UFC officials have a hunch that he would eventually have a change of heart. The former fighter, however, is adamant that he will stick to his decision. “I have no plans to continue fighting,” said Khabib in an interview with RT Sport. “There will always be rumours about my comeback because Dana White or other promoters who could replace him in the future will always want me to fight.”

By leaving the business in his prime, Khabib is leaving millions of dollars on the table but he says wealth was never the primary reason why he fought. “Of course, I am in my prime and there’s still tons of money I could earn, but I had a different goal,” he said. “My goal was to reach the summit and I did it.” He did not seem concerned about his finances, saying: “As for money, from now on we will earn it somewhere else.”