'You truly are the G.O.A.T': Ronaldo, McGregor, Pacquiao and White among stars to congratulate Khabib Nurmagomedov on his retirement


John McAuley
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Cristiano Ronaldo, Conor McGregor and Manny Pacquiao were among those to pay tribute to Khabib Nurmagomedov following his decision to retire from the UFC on Sunday in Abu Dhabi.

The lightweight champion, 32, made the shock announcement immediately after his second-round victory against Justin Gaethje in the headline bout at UFC 254 at Flash Forum. The win, secured via a triangle choke, ensured Nurmagomedov walked away from the sport unbeaten, with a professional mixed martial arts record of 29-0. It was his third title defence.

After defeating interim-champion Gaethje, a tearful Nurmagomedov said he had vowed to his mother to keep his word to retire. His father, and longtime coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, died in July from heart complications made worse by contracting Covid-19.

Ronaldo was one of the first to react to Nurmagomedov’s retirement, posting on Instagram: “Congrats bro, your father is proud!”

McGregor, whom Nurmagomedov defeated in their infamous bout in 2018 - the most lucrative fight in UFC history - took to Twitter to say: “Good performance @TeamKhabib. I will carry on. Respect and condolences on your father again also. To you and family. Yours sincerely, The McGregors.”

Former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, considered by many the UFC’s greatest of all time, said also on social media: "I want to congratulate Khabib for an outstanding career. I know he made his father along with millions of fans around the world incredibly proud today. May God continue to bless him on his journey."

Meanwhile, eight-division boxing champion Pacquiao posted on Twitter: “Congrats to the [greatest of all time] @TeamKhabib on a great win and a great career! It was a privilege to watch you compete. Respect!”

Many said the victory against Gaethje lifted Nurmagomedov to become the greatest athlete in UFC history, with Dana White, the promotion’s president tweeting later on Sunday: "Congrats @TeamKhabib you accomplished EVERYTHING you set out to do. You are the [pound-for-pound] best fighter in the world and you truly are the G.O.A.T of the sport."

UFC 254 brought down the curtain on "Return to Fight Island", the promotion's five-event residency in Abu Dhabi and its second series in all in the capital.

_____________________________

UFC 254: Khabib beats Gaethje in Abu Dhabi

The biog

Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.

His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.

“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.

"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”

Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.

He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking. 

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Expert input

If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?

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