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Khabib came back to Dagestan today.
Probably gonna be a whole bunch of interviews and media gonna keep you updated.
First interview:
Was this fight special for you considering you didn't have your main coach with you, your father?
"Yes of course, it was a special fight considering all the stories that took place the last 6 month. This fight was special and a matter of principle. The camp was very hard, I was sick around 2 weeks after arrival. I was in the hospital 6 days and was offered to cancel the fight. I started training and broke my toe 2 weeks later. It was a tough training camp, but persistence and patience paid off.
What do you think about the opponent he seemed dangerous and hit you hard a couple of times?
"We can go back to the talks before the fight when fighters, experts, trainers were saying that this is the hardest test of my career. And now as usual after the fight they start saying that he didn't hit and that he doesn't know how to grapple. It's always like this after my fights.
I hit him with everything. Plan was to keep constant pressure, force him to make misstakes make him miss and throw many strikes in the air, to make him fatigue in the first and to start working more instance in the second round. When I saw that he was breathing heavy in the end of the first, I understood that everything is going according to plan.
The only thing, my corner men though I was pressuring him to much, I was almost running after him."
A couple of days has passed since you announced retirement, how do people react, how did Dana react, are they trying to talk you out of it?
"People react different, Dana of course want me to fight and make money of that. I could also continue, this is the peak of my career and I could do another fight for very big money. But I have taken a decision and I'm happy that I took this decision..."
"I think this is the best moment for this decision (to retire). Not everyone can retire on top and almost nobody does. I know that I would have to take this decision in 1,2,3 or 5 years.
I have done enough in the sport to be consider the best and today they put #1 P4P. So mission is accomplished, what else is there to do? Money, I have money already."
What plans do you have for the nearest future?
"Rest a little, to take it all in and analyse the situation and take a look around. Life continues and our team keeps moving forward. 14th November Islam Makhachev is fighting in a main event against a former UFC champion at LW. It's a big event for our whole team. As my father said, that it would be great that when I retire another one of his champions would take my place. Such a thing has never happened and it will be hard to repeat something like that.
Our plan is that Islam wins this fight and fight another time before Ramadan and that will put him in a place for title contention. And next year come September, October he will, god willing, have a belt lite this one (nods at his belt). Not this one (smile) but one just like this. "
@Ackmed you should be happy with predictions like this.
Did mother know that you'll retire or was this a surprise for her as well?
"Mother knew, but she probably didn't expect that I would announce it like that. Only she knew.".
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