Khabib Nurmagomedov has seemingly stepped on troubled waters, as sources suggest that he owes more than $3 million to the Russian government. Although the former mixed martial artist had reportedly denied all accusations, the talks were already on the street. According to reports, Nurmagomedov failed to pay taxes for his businesses, and the Russian Federal Tax Services took him up for further questioning. Moreover, the FTS apparently also found discrepancies in the paperwork.

Therefore, his bank accounts linked to those businesses were frozen. Without a doubt, the news has created great turmoil in the fighting community. Now, Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith have opened up on the topic.

UFC veterans discuss Khabib Nurmagomedov’s troubles

Recently, Bisping and Smith, during their conversation on their YouTube talk show, stumbled upon Nurmagomedov’s troubles. Thereafter, ‘The Count’ confirmed if he had the facts right through Hamilton. The guy confirmed the facts, revealing the debt to the government was because of the businesses he invested in after his MMA career.

Of course, the list also included the Eagle FC. And Bisping was in utter shock. He pointed out that Nurmagomedov had a pretty good relationship with Vladimir Putin, which added to the confusion. Thereafter, Smith said, “Maybe there is something going on. But, and maybe they don’t like him taking some of his business to Turkey and Dubai. But.. I don’t know. Maybe he’s getting some penalties on something like that. But, he’s pretty tight with Putin. I have a hard time believing Putin is gonna do anything to Khabib.”

Thereafter, Bisping enquired whether the frozen accounts were in the US or Russia. The answer pointed toward the Russian soil, yet it also reminded Smith and Bisping that they were not Nurmagomedov’s personal accounts. After the closure, they dismissed the case with a joke. Bisping joked, “It’s just businesses, bro!”

For further context, here’s what team Nurmagomedov stated so far!

Team Nurmagomedov had denied all accusations

Championship Rounds recently shared a post on Instagram that depicted the former lightweight champion and the caption read, “The information about tax debt is inaccurate. Khabib continues to engage in business projects and develop them.” (via. TASS)” But ‘The Eagle’ is still under rigorous investigation. 

The case comes under Article 199 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation – “Non-payment of taxes on an especially large scale.” In case the Dagestani fighter fails to prove his innocence, or come to a settlement with the FTS, he would have to face some troubling penalties, like a hefty fine of 200,000-500,000 rubles, three years’ worth of forced labor, or six years of imprisonment.

What do you think of the former UFC lightweight champ and Hall of Famer’s case? Do you think Nurmagomedov would be able to prove his innocence and walk away without a scratch? Let us know in the comments down below.