Khabib Nurmagomedov's coach has said there is a slight possibility of the UFC legend making a shock return to action, despite only retiring from the sport officially earlier this year.

The 32-year-old is among the finest exponents of MMA and has had a glittering career, during which he won all of his 29 fights.

Khabib first announced his retirement last year following the death of his father Abdulmanap owing to complications of Covid-19, but he doubled down on that decision earlier this year after watching UFC 257.

His last fight was at UFC 254 against Justin Gaethje, which he won by technical submission. Since then, he hasn't been seen in the cage.

His coach Mendez, however, has said that he admitted to missing the feeling of fighting, and while mentioning that a comeback to the Octagon would be impossible two years away from the sport, he didn't exactly rule it out, saying that it's up to a discussion between him and his mother.

Mendez told Betway Insider: “You know, when we went to the last fight and his cousin Abubakar was to fight, he just got all energised, and he said, ‘I miss this feeling.’ 

"And it’s a feeling that he’s gonna miss for a while because of that adrenaline you get from entering that Octagon with all those people cheering you on. It’s hard to replace that in normal life because normal life is not like that.

"What I do know is his mother’s bond and his mother’s wishes are extremely important to him, and if he did ever decide, it would have to be his mother and him talking, and his mother would have to give him her blessing.

"Even if he wanted to fight, it’s never gonna happen. He will not disobey his mother; he will not. That’s just who he is. I can say this comfortably, that after two years out of the Octagon, there will definitely be no comeback.

"I’d definitely say that when he’s past his prime, definitely not because he’s not going to compete when he’s not able to compete. But I can honestly say that if he’s still in his prime, there’s always the possibility that he and his mother could talk. I can say that.”

It has been almost a year since we last saw Khabib in the Octagon and fans would definitely like to see him back, even if it is for one last time. 

So far, the chances of that seem unlikely unless, as Mendez mentioned, his mother permits him to do so with her full blessing.

If Khabib did ever return, it would certainly be an emotional moment, especially doing so without his father by his side.

Nevertheless, only time will tell whether we can see the UFC great back in the Octagon or not.