“$50,000 not bad money!” Bonus-seeking Khabib Nurmagomedov once spoke to Mike Tyson mid-fight to impress Dana White

Khabib Nurmagomedov has earned 3 performance of the night bonuses in his UFC career.

“$50,000 not bad money!” Bonus-seeking Khabib Nurmagomedov once spoke to Mike Tyson mid-fight to impress Dana White

Khabib Nurmagomedov on talking to Dana White and Mike Tyson mid fight (Image via Imago)

Khabib Nurmagomedov has a perfect professional fighting record of 29 wins and 0 losses. He is considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. However, he surprisingly did not have a Performance of the Night bonus for the long term. Khabib revealed his discourse with Mike Tyson and Dana White on this mid-fight in one of his early interviews.

In one of his early interviews in the UFC Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed his conversation with Dana White mid-fight in the octagon. Khabib revealed that he wanted to secure a Performance of the Night bonus and revealed his small chit-chat with Mike Tyson. Here is what he said: 

After second round I tell him hey what do you think of the performance because I fight nine times in UFC and I don't have performance. I want to take some performance like fifty thousand is not bad money. I remember when I take him down like Mike Tyson is very close and I say "what's up" and he goes like this. And I say hey what's up Mike.
Khabib Nurmagomedov in a UFC interview with Megan Oliviv
YouTube video

Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Edson Barboza in the co-main event at UFC 219. Nurmagomedov won the fight by unanimous decision. He dominated all three rounds, repeatedly taking Barboza down and using ground and pound. This win also earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov has three Performance of the Night awards. These, he earned against Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. In his final fight at UFC 254, Nurmagomedov earned a $50,000 bonus for his Performance of the Night award. In the second round, Nurmagomedov defeated Gaethje with a triangle choke. Nurmagomedov announced his retirement immediately after the fight, with a professional record of 29-0.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s illustrious MMA career

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s upbringing in Dagestan was nowhere close to luxurious. Nurmagomedov grew up in the mountainous village of Sildi with 15 brothers and cousins. His father, Abdulmanap, was a wrestler and coach who trained Dagestan’s youth to provide them with an alternative to Islamic extremism.

Khabib Nurmagomedov
Will Khabib Nurmagomedov make a return to the UFC? (Image source: X)

Nurmagomedov’s interest in martial arts began when he watched students training at the gym. He trained in wrestling disciplines such as judo, freestyle wrestling, and combat sambo. There is also a video of Nurmagomedov wrestling a bear when he was young.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s first MMA win was in 2008, when he won four fights in less than a month. He won the first Atrium Cup tournament in October after defeating his three opponents at the Moscow event. He went undefeated for the next three years.

In 2012, Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut, defeating Kamal Shalorus via submission in the third round. This fight took place in Nashville, Tennessee, and was Khabib’s first fight in the United States. Nurmagomedov would go on to secure the lightweight belt and defend his title on numerous occasions.

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