Did Russian President Vladimir Putin Help MMA Legend Khabib Nurmagomedov Build His World-Class Gym?
Khabib Nurmagomedov is undoubtedly one of the most prominent names in the world of combat sports, boasting a massive legacy. Despite his retirement from UFC back in 2020, the ‘Eagle’ has often dominated headlines.
Khabib Nurmagomedov put Dagestan on the map and became a global superstar, especially after his fight with Conor McGregor. The fighter also met Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 and has maintained a good relationship with him.
Recently, top UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan talked about how Putin helped Khabib Nurmagomedov build his gym. According to the fighter, any top Russian athlete gets help from the government in creating infrastructure and expanding.
However, Khabib Nurmagomedov denied such claims immediately by commenting on the video. “This is absolutely not true. No one ever paid for my bills or built gyms for me,” wrote Khabib Nurmagomedov via Instagram.
Previously, UFC CEO Dana White had confirmed that after the McGregor fight, Putin gave Nurmagomedov $20 million worth of property. And there were reports about other influencial individual in the Middle East.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov explains what’s wrong with the current UFC
Despite his retirement, Khabib Nurmagomedov has been busy coaching and helping his fighters to become champions. Islam Makhachev, Usman, and Umar Nurmagomedov have become huge names in the current MMA scene.
Russian fighters have definitely dominated the top MMA promotions in the world; however, Nurmagomedov does have some complaints regarding UFC.
According to the former lightweight champion, UFC focuses too much on flashy fighters and doens’t promote fighters who are quiet and don’t trash talk. “I don’t like this. They need somebody who talks, drinks, all this stuff. This is sport, best vs best. Not like best dancer, best haircut, or who has the most followers. It has to be fair,” said Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev have often complained about how UFC delayed their title opportunity because they were considered boring. On the other hand, fighters who participate in trash talking, like Sean O’Malley, Paddy Pimblett, etc., often get pushed by the promotion.
READ MORE: Jake Paul Issues Massive MMA Challenge to Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov
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