SUMMARY
- Khabib Nurmagomedov is a retired MMA fighter and the former UFC Lightweight Champion.
- However, Khabib caught flak for a recently re-surfaced video.
The gentleman from Dagestan, Khabib Nurmagomedov, had a fantastic run in the world’s premier MMA company, UFC. Unfortunately, in 2020, the former lightweight champion retired from professional fighting. He has defeated renowned fighters such as Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, etc. Yet, his early retirement appears to have given people a reason to question his legacy.
Nurmagomedov last fought in 2020, when he defeated Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 to end his career with an exceptional 29-0 record. However, there was a chance he might return. As per his coach, Javier Mendez, ‘The Eagle’ was drug tested for eight months after retirement and was willing to return if he witnessed “something spectacular” from Conor McGregor or Dustin Poirier in their January 2021 fight. But, that did not happen.
In a recently resurfaced video on Instagram, Khabib was seen posing near a street performer. The video seemed to be from the early stages of Khabib’s professional career. In the video, Khabib asks if he could ask the stranger to give him his hat. Khabib’s apprentice jokingly replies he would have to fight for his hat. Khabib then states, “he will kick my ass for his hat, he’ll perform a kimura on me.” Checkout the video:
View this post on Instagram
While the interaction showed a different side to Khabib Nurmagomedov, what fans are mainly interested in seeing, is him inside the Octagon. However, that is not going to happen the former lightweight champion has confirmed that he never plans on returning to the art of fighting and has even closed down his own MMA promotion, ‘Eagle FC’. Nurmagomedov does not even accompany Islam Makhachev to the Octagon these days.
Khabib Nurmagomedov made a homeless man do pushups for money
Khabib Nurmagomedov, known for his humility both within and beyond the octagon, drew harsh criticism in 2018 when he posted a video that is now coming out to haunt ‘The Eagle’ almost five years later. The video, showed the former UFC lightweight champion smiling in the background while homeless guys were paid to do push-ups.
The incident shocked the athletic world since it appeared to violate Nurmagomedov’s prinicples. Many were surprised and stunned by his cousin’s humorously assuming a combat position in the video, which looked to show a lack of respect and sympathy for others less fortunate.
Now, as the video resurfaces, fans and viewers are reminiscing about this heated time, with mixed reactions. Some continue to find it difficult to connect the acts in the video with their picture of Nurmagomedov, while others feel it was an unintentional lack of judgment. The difference between his humility during his career and his rude behavior was noticeable resulting in widespread criticism.