Khabib vs. GSP grappling match hinted at by Eagle FC President
Khabib vs. GSP will have to go down as one of MMA’s greatest “what ifs”. So many times there have been rumors of this coveted matchup, only for it to fade away and slip just out of grasp.
However, fans may finally get their super-fight after all in the form of a grappling match, as Eagle FC President Shamil Zavurov hinted in an interview with RT Sport.
“Khabib is always in great shape,” Zavurov said. “I also follow Georges St. Pierre on Instagram and I can see he is always in shape too, always training, same for Khabib. When I left the sport, I started missing training sessions. I am not pushing that hard now.”
“…Khabib is different. Say when I come home he gives me a call and says, ‘come over, let’s train together!’ He has a gym in his house. He is such a big fan of the sport that he is still in great shape. He is in the United States now and he is working hard with the other guys, two times a day.”
A Hope Once Gone, Now Revived: Khabib vs. GSP
Khabib Nurmagomedov and his father Abdulmanap had a dream: 30 fights, 30 victories. That was to be the career and legacy of one of MMA’s most dominant fighters in history. With the crown jewel and holy grail of those 30 victories to be over Georges St. Pierre, the man some consider MMA’s GOAT.
Alas, life goes awry as it so often does. In May of 2020, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was hospitalized in Moscow due to the coronavirus. He also underwent heart surgery for a preexisting condition exacerbated by COVID-19, and the two combined would prove fatal, as the elder Nurmagomedov would pass away in July of that same year.
With his father playing such a big role in his MMA tutelage growing up, Nurmagomedov’s mother would ask “The Eagle” to swear to her he wouldn’t fight again after his next bout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. He accepted, and after his victory over Gaethje the gloves came off, and the Dagestani legend retired.
People thought the chances of seeing Khabib vs. GSP were gone forever, but this news could be the perfect silver lining. Think about it: Nurmagomedov’s father always wanted Khabib to face GSP in some capacity. And his mother made him promise to never fight again… Which is why a grappling match is so perfect because that’s not a fight!
Nurmagomedov still gets to face GSP in his father’s honor, and he doesn’t break the promise he made to his mother. It’s blockbuster-worthy, and hopefully, fans get to see it come to fruition this time.
Do you want to see Khabib vs GSP? Leave your answer in the comments below!
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