Khabib Nurmagomedov has officially retired from the UFC.

There had been hopes the The Eagle would make a u-turn over his October 2020 decision to hang up his gloves but it seems his mind is made up.

Nurmagomedov leaves the sport as one of the greatest fighters ever, a global household name and one of the most respected athletes in combat sports.

His record of 29-0 will live long in the history books as one of the most imperious ever, and the ease with which he dominated a stacked lightweight division is something we will tell our grandchildren about.

So, with Khabib calling time on his incredible career, here at GIVEMESPORT, having ranked Khabib's best and biggest wins wins, we thought we would have a look back at his ten greatest fights inside the famous Octagon.

10. Khabib vs. Kamal Shalorus 2012

Khabib's UFC debut was a far cry from the ruthlessly assured performances we have become so accustomed to.

If anything, Khabib was rather reckless that night. He was young, raw and inexperienced but got the job done with what would become one of his staple moves over the course of his career.

A rear-ended choke forced Shalorus into a submission. Khabib was on the board in the UFC.

9. Khabib vs. Healy 2013

Khabib sent his first real 'message' to the UFC community with a merciless win over Healy in Toronto.

A monster 'running-slam' proved to be the highlight of the night as Khabib would go on to win by unanimous decision.

8. Khabib vs. Gaethje 2020

This might seem a bit of a harsh ranking for one of Khabib's most efficient performances.

However, it's the fact that he made it look so easy that has seen it drop down our rankings to as low as eighth. 

Gaethje was roped into the fray on short notice and never stood a chance against Khabib who, unbeknownst to most, was planning on retiring after the fight.

7. Khabib vs. Michael Johnson 2016

Number one rule when fighting Khabib? Don't let it go to ground.

Michael Johnson learned that lesson the hard way after a promising start against Nurmagomedov. 

Khabib won via Kimura before demanding a title shot and calling out a certain Conor McGregor.

6. Khabib vs. Edson Barboza 2017

At the time, Khabib labelled this particular fight his 'most dominance performance yet'.

Khabib overwhelmed Barboza, executing every aspect of his game to perfection to make the judges job an easy one.

5. Khabib vs. Darell Horcher 2016

Florida was the stage for yet another show of sheer lightweight domination from 'The Eagle'.

Horcher simply couldn't handle the physical speed and prowess of Khabib, with the fight ending in a TKO.

4. Khabib vs Dustin Poirier 2019

There were few occasions over the course of his career where Khabib looked to be in a spot of bother.

However, Dustin Poirier did come agonisingly close to submitting the Russian to snap his proud unbeaten record. 

In the end, Khabib rallied and registered yet another dominant win via submission, once again proving his superior class and quality.

3. Khabib vs. Thiago Tavares 2013

Khabib's victory over Thiago Tavares will long be remembered as one of his most brutal ever.

The fight was completely done and dusted inside the first round after a monster uppercut downed Tavares and Khabib pounced to land a flurry of vicious elbows.

In truth, it could have ended even earlier after Khabib tore out of the gates like a man possessed. Tavares was like a lamb to slaughter and never stood a chance.

2. Khabib vs Al laquinta 2018

Khabib emerged from a hectic week that saw him slated to face three different opponents while also having his bus attacked by Conor McGregor.

The fight went the distance with Al laquinta more than holding his own.

However, the scorecards would reveal that Khabib had won all five rounds, showing just how mentally tough he was following a seven-day period that could have completely derailed his preparations for the fight.

1. Khabib vs. McGregor 2018

There was only ever going to be one winner here.

Khabib's fight with bitter rival McGregor is the highest-grossing pay-per-view in the history of the UFC.

After months of spewing hate and vicious verbal batterings, Khabib did his talking in the Octagon, submitting McGregor with a merciless neck-crank.

The post fight scenes were like something out of a dream as the camps descended into full blown war both inside and outside the cage.

In the end, Khabib was crowned undisputed lightweight champion - a title he would never relinquish.