Cormier Says Nurmagomedov Could Come Out Of Retirement If Charles Oliveira Beats Makhachev

Khabib Nurmagomedov (Instagram @khabib_nurmagomedov)

JAKARTA - Daniel Cormier believes Khabib Nurmagomedov can return to the UFC if Charles Oliveira wins his next fight.

Oliveira will face Islam Makhachev, who is a friend of Nurmagomedov, in October in Abu Dhabi.

"It would be nice to see (Oliveira) fight Khabib, right?," Cormier told ESPN's DC & RC.

"What better way to try to pull him back than by having Oliveira beat his friend, his training partner, that's another way of trying to pull him off besides money.

"Dana (White) threw so much money on Khabib trying to get him back, it's not enough. But what about defending his friend's honor, if Islam doesn't get the job done?"

Nurmagomedov, who has been enjoying retirement since beating Justin Gaethje in 2020, was quick to respond to Cormier.

The Russian fighter has not ruled out a return to the UFC and admits he doesn't know how he would feel if Makhachev lost.

“Cormier always likes to play games,” said Nurmagomedov. "Of course, to be fair, it will be very interesting for the fans (to see me fight Oliveira).

“But I don't know how I will feel if someone beats Islam. All my life, since childhood, from my first step in my amateur career under my father's tutelage, we have always walked with Islam.

"We've been doing this together for over 20 years."