Khabib Nurmagomedov (Sportimage)
UFC icon Khabib Nurmagomedov is not fond of MMA and prefers football for one specific reason
Khabib Nurmagomedov has proven everything there was to prove in the sport of MMA. He is still the UFC lightweight champion and the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC.
And all of this is after he retired at UFC 254 last year after beating Justin Gaethje; certainly impressive. It speaks volumes about how the 29-0-0 professional MMA record holder dominated the sport during his time.
But there is one that irks ‘The Eagle’ when it comes to MMA. In an interview with Esquire (Middle East), he said that he is not fond of the violence in the sport.
Khabib states that in comparison with football, which he likes because that sport does not need the practice of violence in order to prove superiority.
“That we have to hurt our rivals to show our superiority, this is the only thing that bothers me in this sport. In this regard, I really love football, because you can show by beauty how good an athlete you are.”
Nurmagomedov then mentioned that he is a different person inside and outside the octagon. He says that outside the octagon, he is a ‘good person’, and that he is bad news just for his opponents inside the arena.
Inside the Octagon I am one person, outside I am a completely different person. Inside I have to show all my aggression, my readiness for any outcome of the fight, and I always set a goal to raise my hand as the victor, but outside the cage I am an ordinary person. As the saying goes: ‘To be, not to seem’. In this regard, it is not difficult for me to be a good person. I am a good person, I think. The only thing you cannot include is what happens inside the Octagon. I’m not always good for my opponents.”
When it comes to football, Khabib hasn’t ever hidden his love for the game. Just a couple of months back, he was spotted enjoying a game of football with Dutch legend Clarence Seedorf.
And, he also posts regularly on his Instagram account about the beautiful game. Nurmagomedov is an avid Real Madrid fan who has expressed his desire to play the game professionally, albeit as a joke.
But at 32, it might be too late for the UFC lightweight champion to seek that career.
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