The UFC inducted MMA's version of "The Odd Couple" into its Hall of Fame, as former titleholders Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov officially joined its Modern Wing.
Cormier and Nurmagomedov were both in attendance on Thursday inside T-Mobile Arena. Cormier, 43, is a former two-weight champion in the UFC. Nurmagomedov, 33, is the former lightweight champion who retired with a 29-0 record.
Each of the two stars announced his retirement from MMA in 2020. In addition to being two of the top fighters in the world, Cormier and Nurmagomedov were tied together by a comedic friendship that endeared itself to the sport's fans. Originally from Dagestan, Nurmagomedov moved the majority of his training camps in the UFC to American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, where he trained alongside Cormier.
Nurmagomedov (29-0) is considered by some to be the greatest fighter of all time. He was also involved in a massive rivalry with fellow superstar Conor McGregor. The two fought at UFC 229 in October 2018. Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor in the fourth round of that title bout. He retired in 2020 shortly after the death of his father, Abdulmanap, even though he was still considered to be in the very prime of his career.
