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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 04: UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov speaks to UFC president Dana White during the UFC 229 Press Conference inside The Park Theater at Park MGM on October 4, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 04: UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov speaks to UFC president Dana White during the UFC 229 Press Conference inside The Park Theater at Park MGM on October 4, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Khabib Nurmagomedov is an MMA icon with worldwide support. Even after officially retiring this year, he has remained active by serving as a mentor and training partner for his family and friends. Unlike other fighters who see a decline in their stardom after retirement, ‘The Eagle’s’ fans base is still on a rise.
One incident proved it. Recently, Nurmagomedov’s childhood friend and fellow fighter, Islam Makhachev, spotted a sixty-six-year-old Khabib Nurmagomedov fan. The fan (Nelly Gonzalez) was standing in the scorching heat of Las Vegas at 105℉ hoping to get a photo with Khabib Nurmagomedov on her birthday. She held a poster that said, “Khabib plz 🛑 for Photo”.
66-year-old fan gets her birthday wish after waiting in 105℉ heat ❤️🎂
[ @DanaWhite | @TeamKhabib ] pic.twitter.com/NBPjIaHSQs— UFC (@ufc) July 14, 2021
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Later, she met Dana White who greeted her and asked her where she was from. The lady replied, “Lancaster, California, well, I am originally from Columbia.” White assured her that he would arrange a meeting with ‘The Eagle’ as soon as possible.
Khabib sure did stop 🥺 (via @ufc, @danawhite) pic.twitter.com/B2Wa2OGtgA
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 14, 2021
Finally, the birthday wish was fulfilled as she met her idol, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Both of them took pictures and ‘The Eagle’ gave an autograph on the same poster that said, “Khabib plz 🛑 4 Photo.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov- An MMA icon
Khabib Nurmagomedov has over 29 million followers on his social media account. He is one of the most popular figures in the world of combat sports. Nurmagomedov entered the limelight after dominating the UFC lightweight division for eight years. In his MMA career, Khabib Nurmagomedov took on many talented fighters and made them look like amateurs.
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Watch this story: Read this story: Top 5 Biggest Rivalries in the History of the UFC
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 25: Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia announces his retirement in the Octagon after his victory over Justin Gaethje in their lightweight title bout during the UFC 254 event on October 25, 2020 on UFC Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
From his bear wrestling videos to wearing an intriguing headpiece called Papakha, everything about the Dagestani fighter was unique, which attracted a lot of mainstream audiences and fans.
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But he got worldwide attention when he fought the Irish fighter Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Ahead of the fight, the Irishman, who targeted Nurmagomedov, spared no aspect of his life and made the fight personal. This drama generated a lot of attention, and Nurmagomedov’s unflappable nature in the face of it made Khabib a popular figure among casual fans.
