“My Children Live There” – Emotional Khabib Nurmagomedov Defends Serious Accusations After Gadzhimurad Kagirov Controversy Post Dagestan Te***r Attacks

Sunday, June 23, turned out to be a harrowing day for the people of Dagestan. The attacks that took place in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan and Derbent, resulted in the death of at least 19 people. 15 of them were police officers. The attackers also burned down a synagogue and a church. The incident took place months after a similar episode at a concert hall in Moscow, which caused the deaths of over 100 people. Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is Dagestan’s pride, made a heartfelt statement in light of the recent circumstances. Unfortunately, his name has been dragged because of the same.

While there have been no official statements about the identity or associations of the assailants at this time, according to reports online, Gadzhimurad Kagirov, an MMA fighter with links to Nurmagomedov’s gym has allegedly been identified as one of the milit**ts killed by Russian forces. No doubt, ‘The Eagle’ felt compelled to speak about it.

Khabib Nurmagomedov clears the air on his gym’s links to Dagestan attack assailant 

Reports online indicate that the attacks targeted the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala in Dagestan during the Orthodox festival of Pentecost. In a statement shared by ‘Red Corner MMA’ on Instagram, Khabib Nurmagomedov spoke up against the violence and expressed deep sorrow and disbelief over the brutality in his hometown.

The former UFC lightweight champion stated, “Going into a church and ki***ng someone just because they practice a different religion. Do I really need to condemn this? Isn’t it clear that this is a brutal and inhumane act? Where and when has something like this (been normal)? In Dagestan, over 30 nationalities, and of course, the majority practice Islam, but we also have Jews and Christians. This has never happened in 30-35 years, as long as I’ve lived in Dagestan.”

Emphasizing Dagestan’s history of religious co-existence, Nurmagomedov further highlighted the personal impact of the tragedy as he went on to state, “How can this be normal? My children live there, my mother lives there, my family lives there, my brother, relatives they’re five minutes away from that place.”

Nurmagomedov also addressed the claims being reported that one of the assailants was a member of his gym as he clarified, “(The te***rist) is not our student, that is absolute nonsense, it’s not true. Yes, he had a camp at the gym at some point, maybe for a couple of months. But he was never part of the team.”

Not a lot is known about Kagirov, apart from the fact that he was the cousin of the head of the Sergokalinsky district, Magomed Omarov. As reported by TASS, he was one of the attackers. The news agency also reported that Omarov’s son and nephew were also involved. Hence, the head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, stated that Omarov was relieved of his duties.

Here’s some information about Kagirov’s MMA career (as per Sherdog):

So far, no group has come forward to take responsibility for the attacks. However, as per analysts, the incident could be connected to Islamic State’s North Caucasus branch, Vilayat Kavkaz. There is no official confirmation of this.

Dagestan, with its mosaic of cultures and religions, now grapples with the aftermath of this tragic event and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s plea for understanding and peace reflects the community’s desire for stability. In light of the incident, ‘The Eagle’ also shared a message on social media about the victims of the attack, while the Dagestani government declared three days of mourning to be observed in the region.

Nurmagomedov makes a heartfelt post on social media: “Peaceful sky over our heads”

According to reports online, the Dagestani government has declared that flags will be flown at half-mast across the republic and cultural institutions and media companies have also cancelled all upcoming entertainment events and other programming. Sharing a black image on his Instagram account, Khabib Nurmagomedov stated, “My condolences to all the relatives and friends of the victims. May Allah save us all from such situations and grant us a peaceful sky over our heads.”

As the community grapples with the tragedy, seeking solace and unity in the face of such violence, Nurmagomedov ended his post by stating, “Educating souls is more important than educating bodies.” In these tough times, the former UFC champion’s call for peace and unity offers a glimmer of hope for Dagestan.

Back in March 2024, Russia saw a similar attack in Moscow. The 6,200 tickets were all sold out at the Crocus City Hall but just 7-10 minutes before the show started, people heard some noises. A few people initially thought it was fireworks. Instead, it was the sound of four men with automatic weapons firing. Associated Press described this incident as the deadliest attack on Russian soil in years.

A survivor had stated, “This uncertainty, where to go, what to do, it scared (us) the most as every person there had no idea what was happening.” As Russia grapples with these incidents that happened just months apart, the officials will be continuing their investigations.