News analysis
MMA: A silent, dignified warrior who will be missed in the UFC octagon
Khabib Nurmagomedov's career exit in a serene stadium is befitting of one of the MMA's greatest athletes who also showed rare decency in a sport filled with show boaters and trash talkers.
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Justin Gaethje kicks Khabib Nurmagomedov (left) in their lightweight title bout on UFC Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, on Oct 25, 2020.
PHOTO: UFC
SINGAPORE - And so it came to be that the curtain came down on Khabib Nurmagomedov's mixed martial arts (MMA) career in an empty, silent arena in Abu Dhabi, in front of no spectators, and in jarringly serene fashion.
For a sport whose biggest stars have built their profiles not just on their skills but also by trash talking and courting controversy - a la Conor McGregor - Nurmagomedov's dignified exit comes across as a bit, well, odd.