“I Thought It Was Kadyrov” – Khabib Nurmagomedov Stuns Fans After Recent Public Appearance at Soccer Match

Khabib Nurmagomedov seems to be enjoying his retirement as a recent video of the former UFC lightweight champion has drawn a series of shocked responses from the fans! ‘The Eagle’ had made waves in the MMA world when in 2020, he announced his retirement from the sport after finishing Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. He confessed that the passing away of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, and a promise he made to his mother were the reasons behind his decision. And while UFC CEO Dana White attempted to negotiate a return for another fight, Nurmagomedov remained firm in his decision.

In March 2021, the UFC boss revealed in an interview with ESPN, “Khabib is retired and doesn’t wanna hold up the division, tonight was our final meeting and he is retired.” Since the end of his fighting career, ‘The Eagle’ stayed busy with forays into coaching and the launch of his own promotion, ‘Eagle Fighting Championship’ or EFC.

But in 2023, Nurmagomedov announced that he’d be stepping away from MMA, in all aspects, to focus on his family. According to American Kickboxing Academy’s head coach, Javier Mendez in an interview with Kevin Iole, “He’s a family man and he simply wants to spend more time with his family.”

However, it appears that too much time away from training and enjoying a relaxed lifestyle may have led to the former champion putting on a few pounds! At a recent Russian National Soccer League game, Nurmagomedov was invited to escort a distinguished war veteran to the pitch to kick off the game by FC Dynamo Makhachkala. But a video of ‘The Eagle’ from the event has captured the attention of the fans who held nothing back in taking humorous jabs at the changes in his appearance from his fighting days.

Here’s a look at how the fandom reacted.

Fans left stunned at Khabib Nurmagomedov’s transformation into “Thanos”

Some fans thought that the video was not real and that Nurmagomedov’s appearance was a ‘filter,’ “At the beginning of the video, I thought the effect was applied to him.” Others referenced the startling resemblance between the former MMA fighter and controversial Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, who has been reported to be a fan of Nurmagomedov– “Khabib is starting to look like Kadyrov”

Fans also proclaimed that Nurmagomedov’s appearance is now ‘meme-worthy’- “Habib as in a meme.” Others indulged in some wordplay at the former champion’s expense as they suggested that maybe his name should also now reflect his new appearance: “It’s no longer Habib, it’s HABUB.” Another fan re-iterated the resemblance between Nurmagomedov in the video and Kadyrov: “I thought it was Kadyrov.” 

One fan even speculated that maybe the post-fighting career has led to ‘The Eagle’ weighing in a 100 lbs more now that he doesn’t have to worry about being a lightweight: “He probably weighs 100 more.” Fans also drew comparisons between Nurmagomedov’s appearance and the Marvel villain, ‘Thanos’ and wanted to know if anyone else in the comments felt the same: “Haba looks like Thanos, who agrees?”

However, one fan took the joke further as he claimed that the person interacting in the video with Nurmagomedov confused him with Russian 2-time Olympic gold medalist 97-kg freestyle wrestler, Abdulrashid Sadulaev: “He confused him with Sadulaev.”

In conclusion, while Khabib Nurmagomedov seems to be enjoying his post-fighting lifestyle, the changes in his appearance have prompted playful comments and comparisons from fans. While the reactions may be humorous, they also highlight Nurmagomedov’s enduring popularity and the unique connection he shares with fans, even outside the world of mixed martial arts!