Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov applauded his former rival Edson Barboza following his UFC 330 retirement.

Khabib Nurmagomedov stood cageside as his longtime friend and pupil, Islam Makhachev, successfully defended his UFC welterweight title at UFC 330 last weekend. Makhachev, the UFC’s pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter, defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision in a grueling battle.

Before making the full-time transition to coaching, Nurmagomedov wrapped up his legendary career as the UFC’s pound-for-pound king with a win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Despite being in the middle of his prime, Nurmagomedov retired to fulfill a promise to his mother following the tragic death of his father, Abdulmanap.

On his way to highlight-reel wins over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Gaethje, Nurmagomedov went through a gauntlet in the UFC’s lightweight division. His win over Edson Barboza at UFC 219 clinched his long-awaited lightweight title shot, defeating Barboza by unanimous decision.

Following a loss at UFC 330, Barboza dropped the gloves and announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts at 40 years old. Nurmagomedov, who was backstage preparing Makhachev for his fight at the time of Barboza’s announcement, had a classy message for his former rival.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s live reaction to Edson Barboza’s UFC 330 retirement

During a recent episode of Anatomy of a Fighter, Nurmagomedov shared his live reaction to Barboza’s retirement at UFC 330.

“Long time ago, the sport left him. But today, he leaves the sport, too,” Nurmagomedov said of Barboza.

“This happens. When you’re 40 years old, you have to think about your family. Family is better than being beat up like this. Just my opinion. But he’s a legend!”

Barboza earned wins over the likes of Paul Felder, Beneil Dariush, and Anthony Pettis during his illustrious UFC career. He made his promotional debut at UFC 123.

What is your favorite memory from Edson Barboza’s UFC career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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