Khabib Nurmagomedov Encounters Donald Trump at UFC 302
Khabib Nurmagomedov attracted the attention of former American President, Donald Trump, when they met at UFC 302, following Islam Makhachev’s 3rd successful title defence in Newark, New Jersey on Saturday. Trump is no stranger to UFC events, regularly attending pay-per-views. Despite his criminal prosecution and controversial politics, the respective crowds always give him a standing ovation.
Although their initial interaction seemed unclear, a close-up clip emerged online regarding their talk. Nurmagomedov said to Trump, “I know you’re going to stop all this Palestine war”.
Trump responded, “We’re going to stop it. I’m going to stop it”.
“The Eagle” has openly supported Palestine, and has called for the violence to end, as seen on his social media. Nurmagomedov’s Muslim faith adds another layer to this, after seeing the persecution of fellow Muslims, meaning a plea to Trump makes sense. However, the impact could be curious.
Trump Praises “The Eagle”
After their discussion, Trump had plenty of praise for Nurmagomedov on his social media platform, Truth Social. In the post, Trump labelled the fighter-turned-coach, “Probably the Greatest Fighter of All Time”. Although the former undefeated champion may have cemented himself as the GOAT at lightweight in the eyes of many mixed martial arts fans, Makhachev’s rise with his increasing number of title defences could put this in doubt.
Others in the GOAT conversation, such as Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, and Jon Jones, all dwarf Nurmagomedov with their amount of championship defences. Ultimately, the Dagestani was not fighting at the top level for long enough to display himself as the GOAT.
A greater argument could be made if he had continued his undefeated run and built a stronger resume in the UFC, but we are stuck with what he left us with. Also, compared to other fighters, Nurmagomedov is nowhere near as well-rounded. His style worked and it was dominant, but compared to someone like Demetrious Johnson, it shows the instinctive wrestler’s limitations.
Trump also called Nurmagomedov, “A smart guy”.
An accurate statement. His style showed intelligence with his heavy wrestling approach, minimising the punishment he took and maximising the damage he could supply. The fight IQ of the 35-year-old shone when he chose to leave the sport by retiring at the top, following the passing of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.
His effectiveness as a coach, frequently hailed by Makhachev, further reinforces the former lightweight champion’s intellect. As well as proving he is a master educator on the mats, the financial stability of Nurmagomedov by not requiring him to fight to make money exhibits his judgements to be credible.
Seemingly a fan of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Donald Trump will certainly continue to be spotted at UFC events.
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images & Embed from Getty Images
