Khabib still contemplating retirement following latest injury

Khabib Nurmagomedov is still contemplating one of the biggest professional decisions of his life.

The Dagestani standout was forced out of his third consecutive scheduled fight over the past two years, this time with an injured rib that rendered him unable to compete on the TUF 22 Finale in December.

In the immediate aftermath of the injury, the dejected Khabib took to Instagram, where he revealed that "I really wanted to come back, I'm not sure if I will ever come back."

While many assumed Khabib's immediate reaction was mainly due to emotions and frustration, MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani reported on Wednesday's edition of UFC Tonight that Khabib is seriously contemplating retirement following the injury.

Nurmagomedov is widely regarded as one of the top lightweights on the UFC roster. His last victory was a April 29, 2014 win against current champion Rafael dos Anjos. He would have gotten the rematch had he defeated Tony Ferguson on Dec. 11. Instead, Edson Barboza will replace the Dagestani on the card.