3<\/p>\n Khabib announced his retirement after his slick takedown of Gaethje<\/p>\n It was reported that approximately $280 million went to Mayweather and $130 million to McGregor for his professional boxing debut<\/a>.<\/p>\n After the success the first time around the American set his sights on another crossover bout, this time vying for the newly retired Nurmagomedov.<\/p>\n ‘The Eagle’ had retired in 2020 at the age of just 32, following his win against Justin Gaethje<\/a> at UFC 254.<\/p>\n Shortly after his third successful title defence and final outing, Mayweather put $100million on the line to action their bout.<\/p>\n Should the Russian have been open to return, fans would have seen two undefeated champions in their retrospective sport going head-to-head.<\/p>\n As part of a recent Q&A session in New York, Nurmagomedov explained why he remained firm in his decision to leave his professional record standing at 29-0 and not pursue the paycheque.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cThis is a money fight, but I will never do this because I respect legacy.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you talk about Mayweather as a man, nobody wants to be like him.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at Muhammad Ali<\/a>. He\u2019s not with us, but he inspired billions of people, not just Muslims.\u201d<\/p>\n While the Russian legend has continued to receive comeback offers, even outside of the UFC<\/a>, he has made it clear that the money does not appeal to him. <\/p>\n 3<\/p>\n Khabib famously beat McGregor at UFC 229 in one of the biggest fights in combat sports historyCredit: GETTY<\/p>\n For Nurmagomedov, the bout would simply have gone against his morals as he vowed to not fight after the death of his father and longtime coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.<\/p>\n He explained: \u201cThey keep offering me grappling. Yeah, grappling offers all the time.<\/p>\n \u201cThere wasn\u2019t anyone. They had no opponents. They said, \u2018If you agree, we\u2019ll find an opponent for you.<\/p>\n \u201cNever even thought about it [accepting a comeback offer].\u201d<\/p>\n Although, Nurmagomedov had promised his mother that he would remain retired<\/a> when he first made the move back in 2021 and he seems to be firmly sticking to his word.<\/p>\n What were the highlights of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s career?<\/p>\n Since his emergence on to the UFC scene in 2012, no opponent managed to edge a win over the Russian icon.<\/p>\n![\"Khabib](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/ElH3l4jXEAAvwUC.jpg\")
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