The legend of Khabib Nurmagomedov continues to grow larger even without being inside an MMA cage since 2020. When you thought UFC 229 was a closed chapter in MMA history, a story emerges. That opens up how special that fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor was. Not just for mixed martial arts fans, but also for politicians like Vladimir Putin.
With Dana White seemingly getting burnt out from doing podcasts, fight fans were thankful he gave one more shot by being a guest on an episode of “Games with Names”. Dana discussed what was waiting for Khabib after the UFC 229 main event. The wild melee that took place afterward, with Nurmagomedov notoriously soaring off the cage and diving into the crowd, attempting to attack Dillon Danis.
The Lavish Gifts Khabib Nurmagomedov Received from Putin
“He didn’t even make it back to his dressing room after the fight, and Putin was on the phone,” Dana White said while talking about UFC 229 on “Games with Names” podcast. “Putin gave him and his father, like, $20 million worth of property in Russia. Then he went into the Muslim territories where these guys are like, cars, money, gyms, whatever he wanted.”
It is wild to think that Khabib Nurmagomedov’s life changed even more by defeating his long-time rival Conor. Khabib would go on to fight for the UFC two more times with submission victories over Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. Two dangerous opponents that were no threat to his undefeated record.
With the money and other gifts Putin gave and the loss of his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, there is no denying that Khabib Nurmagomedov’s motivation to fight was long gone.
It is quite interesting how Khabib’s legacy continues to grow even when not fighting anymore. Even with it being reported that he turned down 40 million dollars to return to the UFC, it just adds that he is content with what he got and gave to the sport of MMA.
Dana White broke his “no more podcast” vow to get this juicy story. That adds to the mystic and badass aura Khabib Nurmagomedov had during his tenure with the UFC.
With Khabib retiring undefeated, it is nice to say that fight fans witnessed something special. It is hard to go out as a champion in such an unforgiving sport like MMA. However even harder to retire undefeated.
What are your thoughts on the news about the lavish gifts that Vladimir Putin gave to Khabib Nurmagomedov?
Featured image credits Embed from Getty Images
