[Politics_Observer]

I am not sure if Khabib Nurmagomedov used performance enhancing drugs or steriods. I wouldn't be surprised if some UFC atheletes use PEDs but just haven't been caught. I have read the regulations have been stricter in regards to the use of PEDs in the UFC but whether the regulations have succeeded in preventing all use of PEDs is questionable. That being said, without proof or evidence that Khabib Nurmagomedov has used PEDs, then he deserves all the respect, honor and status that comes with his undefeated UFC career. I congratulate Khabib on his victory and give him the respect of a champion that he has earned:

UFC 254: A dominant performance, a tearful goodbye and a legacy of greatness for Khabib Nurmagomedov

The tears flowed immediately. Khabib Nurmagomedov had just let go of the triangle choke he used to render Justin Gaethje unconscious, and all that was left for the UFC lightweight champion was a different release, one of a painfully personal nature. As medical staff moved in to attend to Gaethje against the cage, Nurmagomedov stepped to the center of the Octagon and dropped to his knees.

This would not simply be his usual postfight prayer. Nurmagomedov remained balled up on the canvas, his back heaving, hands covering his face. He was weeping.

Emotions that had been pent up for months spilled out of him. Nurmagomedov had shown none of it publicly in the leadup to this fight, wearing the stoic face for which he had become known during his undefeated mixed martial arts career. But there was no need for that anymore. His father and primary coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, died in July from a heart condition complicated by COVID-19, and Khabib was finally allowing himself the opportunity to mourn publicly. There would be no more fighting for Nurmagomedov after Saturday in Abu Dhabi.

That became clear even before his UFC 254 main event victory was announced. As the official result was being read by Bruce Buffer -- a technical submission by triangle choke at 1 minute, 34 seconds of Round 2 -- and UFC president Dana White waited to wrap the shiny title belt around his champion once more, Nurmagomedov was already trying to peel away the red tape that secured his fighting gloves.

Those who regularly watch combat sports knew what was coming, and what it meant. When a fighter takes off his or her gloves and lays them at the center of the cage, that symbolizes the end of a career.

Nurmagomedov, speaking softly as his coaches and cornermen stood transfixed behind him, confirmed that he was walking away from a 29-0 career that will be remembered as the most dominant run in MMA history. The 32-year-old from Dagestan spoke of his late father. He spoke of his mother, and a promise he made to her.

"Today, I want to say this was my last fight," Nurmagomedov said. "No way I'm going to come here without my father. After what happened with my father, when the UFC called me about Justin, I talked with my mother, three days, she don't want I go fight without father. But I promised her this is going to be my last fight. And if I give my word, I have to follow it."

https://es.pn/31HGfE5

[Godstud]

They test them before and after a win, for PRDs. He doesn't use them.

[Politics_Observer]

@Godstud

I have read that some athletes have used them but then go through periods of not dosing with them so that when they get tested the use of PEDs goes undetected. This has happened with some other athletes in the UFC besides Khabib and they were eventually caught from what I understand. However, I also believe in innocent until proven guilty, so if there is no proof then he is a champion as far as I am concerned. Given Russia's recent history of doping their athletes to where they got banned from the Olympics, it makes me a little suspicious. But I also know the UFC tests. You have to be fair and treat all athletes fairly, even if they come from a country whose reputation has been tainted recently with doping scandals. Innocent until proven guilty and without proof of PED use, he is a true champion. Everybody deserves a fair shake.

[Godstud]

Proving that a fighter is clean isn't hard. They test. Without testing I might accept your argument.

As it stands, I think you are simply looking for an excuse to be anti-Russian. Your accusation is without grounds.

The last fighter to be caught "doping" was American. I suppose you have forgotten Jon Jones?

[Politics_Observer]

@Godstud

It's not necessarily about being anti-russian. I am not accusing him of anything. However, I would by lying to you if I wasn't genuinely a little suspicious given that has been proven that Russian athletes were caught doping and banned from the Olympics. Given Russia's track record with doping with their Olympic athletes to gain an unfair advantage, then who is to say this might not be the case here? I have also read that athletes in the UFC have found ways around tests to where it is difficult or at times impossible to prove.

But I also know that you have to be fair and give people the benefit of the doubt when proof does not exist. But I am a little suspicious given the fact that Russian athletes have been caught doping and banned from the Olympics. I think most people would be. Whenever a nation has been caught doping as part of a program and national policy of doping their atheletes for sporting competition, it's a cloud that sort of stays over the atheletes heads from those countries. I mean you know you have some American atheletes who dope up sometimes and some of them get caught, but they do so due to their own individual choices rather than a national government policy that dopes their atheletes as it seems the Russian government has attempted to do here in the recent past. That's the difference here and what makes me a little suspicious.

I mean, this guy might have legitimately earned it. But because his government in the recent past had a government policy of doping their atheletes, it's like a cloud over his head a little bit. You want to be fair, but given the recent history, it does raise some suspicions. That has nothing to do with being "anti-russian." It's a just that the Russian government with it's past actions has tainted their athletes which you know some might not be their is always that suspicion and cloud now over their heads.

[Godstud]

By the same basis I can accuse Gaetje of having used steroids. Everything in the USA is about America and it's nationalism.

The testing they do is sufficient. If all you have is groundless suspicion, then that's all it is.

[Politics_Observer]

@Godstud

This has nothing to do with "American nationalism." There hasn't been a US government policy to dope our athletes. That has not been the case with the Russian government and it's athletes. So, it's not like my suspicions are not grounded from the Russian government's past actions in regards to doping their athletes. I am not trying to rob this guy of his victory if it was indeed a truly fair and square legitimate victory done without PEDs. But I am also being honest too about my suspicions and WHY I have those suspicions and demonstrate that they are grounded from the past actions of the Russian government doping their athletes as part of policy. I don't have any proof in regards to this individual, but just because you don't have any proof doesn't mean it hasn't happened either.

[Politics_Observer]

@Godstud

Check this video out on doping in sports. A lot of sports are dirty and of course, our own athletes have doped too. Some of these athletes went to the extremes to gain an advantage. Crazy man.

[Godstud]

I realize that, but Khabib is not on some Russian national team. The accusations are unfounded and seem like poor sportsmanship. Sorry. USA lost. Suck it up!

[ness31]

I have no opinion as to whether he uses or used performance enhancing drugs.

I did however finally learn how to pronounce his name, yay for me. And, his emotional speech announcing his retirement was very heartfelt. The cynic in me can’t help but think he will be induced back into the octagon for some serious cash.

[Istanbuller]

Khabib Nurmagomedov is classy guy, not a scumbag like Mayweather.

I would like to see a match between the two. It would be nice to see Mayweather be disgraced. But I suspect Mayweather has balls to return for this match.

Khabib on Mayweather:

"I saw his birthday to become 49 or 48-years-old, but my father, he’s almost like my father’s age.

"I don't understand how I’m going to punch his face.

“If you wanna fight, come to the UFC. This is real fight. I’m not boxer, I’m not just wrestler, I am MMA fighter.

“If interested, maybe we can make something like - my father talk about this before - like maybe eleven rounds box, one round MMA.

“Like eleven rounds three minute box. And the last round: five minutes MMA. If he makes this deal, I can fight.

“I don’t think he can knock me out in eleven rounds. And what’s he going to do last round?

"Five minutes with me, I’m gonna take him down, I’m going to maul this guy. What’s he going to do?”

“You know, of course in boxing he’s very good. But I don’t think he can knock me out.”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/mma/1107 ... oxing-mma/

[Godstud]

Those fights are always jokes. It's like asking a swimmer to have a diving competition or a diver having a swimming competition. They are two different sports.

Mayweather would win a boxing match and Khabib would win an MMA match.

Boxing is specialized. MMA is not, and incorporates wrestling/ju jitsu, and kicking.

Now, if you want to have a real competition that might be mildly fair, you could have a kickboxer fight an MMA star. They're far closer in skill sets.

[Rancid]

Proving that a fighter is clean isn't hard.

Unless the fighter found a new PED that isn't tested for, which is what happens. I'm just commenting on this point, not suggesting Khabib did that. I wouldn't care either way.

My understanding is that the PED testing game is cat and mouse, basically people are constantly finding new drugs that aren't tested for, so they use those until a test is developed, then they go off and find the next new PED.

I wonder if fighters masturbate to get their Testosterone levels up.

Personally, they should allow all PEDs. LET THE BEST DOPERS WIN!

[Politics_Observer]

@Godstud

I realize that, but Khabib is not on some Russian national team. The accusations are unfounded and seem like poor sportsmanship. Sorry. USA lost. Suck it up!

Well just because he's not on a Russian national team doesn't mean he wouldn't have benefited from state sponsored doping and techniques to evade getting caught. I am sure if Russia has state sponsored doping, then they have some creative ways to not get caught when their atheletes are tested. And, they could very well be extending this knowledge to Khabib. Maybe I am treating Khabib unfairly with my suspicions.

That being said, Khabib does seem like a classy guy and a good guy. Lance Armstrong was caught doping and I had no problems with him being stripped of his titles. Not one problem at all. He deserved every bit of what he got. He was robbing athletes who played it fair and square of the just rewards of their hard work by doping. But yes, given Russian state sponsored doping and knowing that the Russian government has people working with them that know creative ways to prevent doping from being detected, I am a bit suspicious of Khabib. Now I could be wrong. But I would also by lying to you if I told you I didn't have my suspicions.

That being said, I think Russian athletes should be allowed and encouraged to come over to the U.S. and compete despite their ban on the Olympic stage as long as they are clean. They would just have to be subjected to the same tests that any other athlete is subjected to in the UFC. Bear in mind, Lance Armstrong tested well over a 100 times clean when he was doping. For me, though, Khabib's record seems almost too good to be true. However, so long as no proof of doping exists, then I congratulate Khabib on his victory and give him the status as a champion he has earned.

[Godstud]

Well just because he's not on a Russian national team doesn't mean he would have benefited from state sponsored doping and techniques to evade getting caught.

I fixed it for you.

The accusations are only there because of Americans who are upset that their nationalism spouting American lost. There is no reasonable reason to accuse Khabib of it, otherwise. He has failed no drug testing, and neither did his opponent, who is JUST as likely to have used PEDs as he is.

Your suspicions are unfounded.

[Rancid]

Lance Armstrong was caught doping and I had no problems with him being stripped of his titles

Everyone else was doping, so he wasn't stealing anything from anyone else. The cycling sport is corrupt as fuck and knew and allowed this to happen too, they were just trying to save safe by stripping him and others.

Anyway, personally, the only real issue I have with Lance Armstrong is how he tried to destroy the people that were going after him and calling him out. That was despicable. At least he's finally showing regret and remorse about that part of the whole thing. Had he not done that, people wouldn't see him as a monster like they do now.

[Politics_Observer]

@Godstud

Yeah, yeah, YOU are jumping to baseless conclusions. Just because I have suspicions doesn't mean it's based on any sort of "American nationalism" or that I am somehow "anti-Russian." Sure, I think Russia is a national security threat to the U.S. But that doesn't necessarily mean, I think your average run of the day normal Russian dude is bad or up to no good. It's normal for countries to not agree with each other and sometimes be at odds with each other. That doesn't mean their average citizen is "bad." They're people just like anybody. However, you seem to ignore the fact that Russia itself has a state sponsored doping program and what the implications of that mean. It's a state sponsored program that has been proven to exist. Why would they have a state sponsored doping program?

The answer to that question would seem to point that the Russian state might very well have an incentive to assist Khabib and prevent any sort of doping from being detected even though he is not on a Russian national team for their own propaganda purposes. Which, if true, would be sad, because then the athletes themselves are used and thrown away after long term negative health effects from using any PEDs. I have my suspicions and just because I do, that in no way means it's based on the notion of "wounded national pride" or "American nationalism" or "anti-Russian" attitudes. There is an old saying I go by and you would be well advised to go by it too in order to prevent from being hoodwinked: "if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is." Maybe you don't believe in the wisdom of that old saying, but I certainly do.

That being said, another tragedy of Russian state sponsored doping of their athletes kind of robs Russian athletes who actually win fair and square of the full recognition and respect they deserve because their is always that cloud over their head and people wondering if the Russian state might have had a hand in assisting them in secretly doping and evading detection for their own propaganda purposes. That detracts from the sport and robs the sport of it's awesomeness because it takes away from the recognition and respect that athletes who win fair and square deserve. Plus it has serious long term health consequences for the athletes themselves.

[Godstud]

@Politics_Observer Were you making/having the same accusations/suspicions when McGregor won? No. Maybe Ireland was doping McGregor.

There is absolutely nothing that suggests that Khabib is on PEDs. Nothing.

[Igor Antunov]

He's just a beast that also happens to be extremely talented at grappling. He's to mixed martial arts what Tyson was to boxing in his prime. On the borderline of human and superhuman. Good win good time to bow out and be one of the greats.

[Godstud]

Incidentally, @Politics_Observer, there are signs of using PEDs that go beyond testing, and Khabib has none of those signs. eg. FFMI is excessive, acne, big change in physique, excessive growth in shoulders and lats, etc.