The UFC announced on Saturday night that Khabib Nurmagomedov will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, following his unbelievable career.
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Khabib is considered one of the greatest fighters to step inside the octagon, after ending his MMA career with a perfect 29-0 record.
Inside the UFC the Russian only fought 13 times, winning every single one, but became arguably the most dominant performer in the lightweight division's history.
He retired in 2020, following his victory at Fight Island, in Abu Dhabi, in a win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, after unifying the title with Gaethje's interim belt.
Now the promotion have confirmed that he will be the first inductee into the Hall of Fame Class of 2022, in the 'Modern Wing,' with the ceremonies usually taking place in July or September.
Nurmagomedov became UFC champion at UFC 223, when he fought Al Iaquinta for the vacant title, after Conor McGregor had been stripped of it.
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The Dagestani fighter originally supposed to fight Tony Ferguson, but it was one of four times that the fight had between the pair had to be cancelled for one reason or another.
Ferguson's replacement Max Holloway was deemed unfit after problems with weight cutting and he was replaced by Anthony Pettis.
Pettis was only available after his original opponent Michael Chiesa was injured during the infamous attack by McGregor on the bus carrying many of the fighters on the card, after the Irishman flew to America to square up to Khabib.
The rivalry would come to define the pair of fighters as thing turned nasty in press conferences, in interviews and on social media, as a fight became inevitable.
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It would turn out to be Khabib's first title defence, at UFC 229, and resulted in yet another victory for the champion, tapping out the former champ with a neck crank in the fourth round.
After the fight the Russian launched himself into the crowd to attack one of McGregor's team, really playing up to his nickname 'the Eagle,' whilst members of his team attacked 'the Notorious.'
He would then be out of action for a year, following a suspension, before defeating Dustin Poirier and then Gaethje, and then hanging up his gloves, as he'd promised his mother he would in the wake of his father's untimely death to Covid in 2020.
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Khabib found out about his induction into the Hall of Fame at the same time as everyone else on Saturday night, during UFC 272.
The typically humble 33-year-old told cameras at the event 'I don't expect this,' but to the rest of it seemed inevitable to happen at some point.
Khabib joins Forrest Griffin, B.J Penn, Urijah Faber, Ronda Rousey, Michael Bisping, Rashad Evans and George St-Pierre in the Modern Wing.
Featured Image Credit: UFC/PATopics: UFC, MMA, Khabib Nurmagomedov
