Khabib Nurmagomedov Forced Dana White to Remove Fighters Off UFC 242 Risking $6M Contract; Zubaira Tukhugov Reveals Russian’s Act of Loyalty

“Loyal is the number one” word that came out of Khabib Nurmagomedov when talking about his teammates. The former lightweight champion Nurmagomedov has been one of the most respected fighters in the promotion. It would not be wrong to state that he started the Dagestani era in the realm of UFC. ‘Eagle’ stands by his principles and one of his principles is the advocacy of loyalty that he upholds to the utmost.

There were times when ‘Eagle’ proved that he was not only a good fighter but also a gem of a human being. One act of kindness that was overlooked by the MMA community due to its secretive nature is that there was a time when he was ready to sacrifice $6 million in order to help his friend. How, you ask? Let us find out.

The generosity of Khabib Nurmagomedov

After defeating Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov became such a huge sensation that even the UFC was not in the mood to let him go anywhere. ‘Eagle’s next fight was scheduled a year later against Dustin Poirier for a title defense at UFC Abu Dhabi. The card was fully stacked and the champion was ready to clash against Poirier but he was struck by a news. ‘Eagle’ heard that UFC revoked Zubaira Tukhugov from fighting at the Abu Dhabi card.

The champion was angry at the fact that the UFC first promised Tukhugov for a fight and then denied him. According to Zubaira Tukhugov, Khabib Nurmagomedov tried to jeopardize his own career for him. The UFC star in a podcast said, “Nobody has ever revealed it. I got suspended. My contract was terminated. Khabib said, “Zubaira will fight first, then I will fight too.” After the McGregor fights, the UFC really needed Khabib. So they gave me a contract. They said they will give me a room in Abu Dhabi card with Khabib and Islam. But Dana White said that they had no room for me on that card (Abu Dhabi card)… He tried to change Khabib’s mind.”

He further added, “But Khabib was like, “Ok, I’m going to rip this contract up now. I will give my spot on the card to Zubaira.” It was his first really good payday. I said, “Please don’t do that.” Then Hunter [Campbell] called me and said that he respected Khabib’s decision and decided to remove a few cards to let me fight on that card. That’s how I managed to be a part of that event.”

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s words were like the writings on a stone. The UFC had to compromise on their position. At the end of the day, the admins gave Tukhugov a fight against Lerone Murphy at the event. However, ‘Warrior’ lost it by way of a split decision. Loyalty and friendship are much more cherished by the Dagestani fighter than money and this is not the first time the ‘Eagle’ was really generous with his money.

Money is just a piece of paper for the ‘Eagle’

An inspiration to his teammates is what Khabib Nurmagomedov aspired to be and that is what he became. To explain his generosity, AKA head coach, Javier Mendez narrated a story where ‘Eagle’ despite getting tons of dollars gave half of it to his teammates so that they could spend it on other things. While having a conversation with the media, Mendez said, “So Khabib gave everybody a thousand bucks because he made some money, so he gave everybody–probably, honestly speaking, he gave half of what he made to all of us, all the fighters that were there. He gave us all–I’m pretty sure it was a thousand a piece, he gave us all a thousand a piece”

The head coach further praised the former lightweight champion to be a beautiful person by heart. “He’s such a beautiful person inside and outside, especially for his family and his fighters and brothers. Brothers meaning fighters, ’cause we’re all brothers to him. He’s [a brother] to us, and a lot of people just don’t realize what kind of generosity he has and what kind of big heart he has”

The words of Mendez echoed the greatness of the former fighter. Nonetheless, What are your thoughts on Khabib Nurmagomedov as a person? State your thoughts in the comments below.