Michael Chandler sheds light on how he felt when Khabib Nurmagomedov retired just before his UFC debut

Despite currently pursuing Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler will never forget the one fight that he was unable to have.

As the UFC lightweight boarded a plane, Chandler took to Twitter and invited fans to ask him ‘anything’ to help pass the time. One fan asked for his thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement, which coincidentally happened just as Chandler signed with the UFC. Chandler was happy to share his opinion on the matter.

Chandler described the situation as “crazy”but stated that it ultimately led to positive outcomes for his career. He added:

“It was nuts..it all worked out.”

Seven months after Nurmagomedov’s retirement following his victory over Justin Gaethje, Chandler was presented with the opportunity to fight for the vacant title against Charles Oliveira, a turn of events that would ultimately benefit him.

Despite not facing each other, Nurmagomedov and Chandler were both involved in the UFC 254 main event, with ‘Iron’ serving as the backup fighter for the final fight of Nurmagomedov’s career. While Nurmagomedov was known for his dominance as the lightweight champion in Bellator, fans had long speculated and debated a potential matchup between him and Chandler.

After taking part in 23 fights with Bellator, Chandler finally joined the promotion in 2020. However, he did not make his UFC debut until UFC 257, which was three months after Nurmagomedov announced his retirement and left his gloves in the octagon.

What led to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement?

Despite retiring at the young age of 32, Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely recognized as the greatest 155-pound fighter in the brief history of the UFC’s lightweight division.

Despite his continued success and immense popularity, Nurmagomedov faced a tragic loss when his father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, contracted COVID-19 and passed away in July 2020. Despite this, the unbeaten lightweight champion persevered and fought one last time before announcing his retirement, keeping a promise he made to his mother to not continue without his father by his side.

With a record of 29-0, Nurmagomedov retired as the undefeated fighter with the most wins in MMA history. He also joined the ranks of UFC champions to retire with the belt, following in the footsteps of Georges St. Pierre who did the same in 2017.