Khabib Nurmagomedov Reveals Why He Turned Down $100 Million Fight With Floyd Mayweather
Khabib Nurmagomedov walked away from MMA with a perfect 29-0 record, but even after his retirement, the former UFC lightweight champion was presented with opportunities to make an enormous amount of money. One of the biggest was a proposed boxing fight against Floyd Mayweather that was reportedly worth around $100 million.
Despite the staggering figure, Nurmagomedov had no interest in returning to competition simply for a massive payday. The Russian star has now explained that his decision was largely influenced by the way he views legacy and Mayweather himself.
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Khabib Chose Legacy Over A $100 Million Payday
During a Q&A session in New York, Nurmagomedov explained that a fight with Mayweather would have been motivated primarily by money, something he was unwilling to accept.
“This is a money fight, but I will never do this because I respect legacy,” Nurmagomedov said.
The former UFC champion then contrasted Mayweather’s legacy with that of Muhammad Ali, whom he considers an example of the kind of influence an athlete should strive to have beyond their sporting achievements.
“If you talk about Mayweather as a man, nobody wants to be like him,” Nurmagomedov said. “Look at Muhammad Ali. He’s not with us, but he inspired billions of people, not just Muslims.”
The comments provide an insight into why the proposed Mayweather fight never materialized. While the matchup would have been one of the biggest combat sports crossover events imaginable, Nurmagomedov clearly did not believe the financial reward justified what the fight represented to him.
The $100 million figure has previously been linked to an offer made to Nurmagomedov after his retirement. His manager Ali Abdelaziz claimed in 2021 that Mayweather was offered the opportunity to lure Khabib back into competition, but the undefeated fighter remained committed to retirement and a promise he had made to his mother.
Nurmagomedov retired following his submission victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020. He finished his professional MMA career with a 29-0 record and three successful UFC lightweight title defenses.
Interestingly, Nurmagomedov had previously viewed a potential Mayweather fight differently while he was still competing. In 2020, he described Mayweather as one of the greatest fighters of all time and said the matchup represented a new challenge.
Ultimately, however, the opportunity disappeared after his retirement. For Nurmagomedov, $100 million was not enough to convince him to compromise the principles he wanted his legacy to represent.
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