“I don’t r*pe women” – Khabib Nurmagomedov seems to take a dig at fellow fighters as he reveals the reason behind not wearing the Russian flag to fight
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Khabib Nurmagomedov
It is very common to see athletes wearing their country’s flag in various competitions. It’s a way for them to display their love and respect for their country and native lands. UFC is no expectation to this sight of fighters donning their nation’s flag while walking to the Octagon. But the former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has never worn his nation’s flag in UFC.
In a UFC press conference in Moscow back in 2019, Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed the reason behind it. Replying to his fans, he said, “People who wear flags say that they represent their native land…But, unlike them, I don’t r*pe women, don’t beat old people, don’t tell people to drink alcohol.” Interestingly, Khabib has worn the Ukrainian flag to walk out for a fight early in his career.
Khabib also added that he had his own way of representing his motherland and that carrying flags to the Octagon was not the only way to show patriotism. He believes it is not enough to just raise the flag, you have to also display some qualities in your character worthy to raise the flag.
Everyone in the MMA community believed that all though comments in the interview were directed toward his former opponent Conor McGregor. Ever since their fight, Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov had always shared bad blood between them. Although all of this makes their rivalry one of the best if not the best rivalry in UFC history.
Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals the reason behind not missing fighting
One of the best mixed martial artists in history, Khabib Nurmagomedov left the sport at the height of his powers. In combat sports, the word “retirement” rarely means “forever,” but Nurmagomedov is adamant about his choice, and he acknowledges that since hanging up his gloves in late 2020, he hasn’t missed the sport much.
Recently speaking on The Muslim Money Guys podcast he revealed why it was easy for him to leave sports. Khabib said, “Honestly no [I don’t miss it]…Because all my life, it was on my hands, not inside my heart. It was never inside my heart. Of course I like it, you have to love what you’re doing. I was a very big fan of sports because my goal was to become the best, to become the champion like everybody has to do. But when I’m finished, I’m finished.”
Fighting professionals virtually never have an easy time retiring, whether it’s due to their lust for competitiveness, the money that comes with competing in the largest events in the sport, or simply the desire to keep up with the best.
Because of this, it’s extremely rare for someone to quit in their prime, but Nurmagomedov did just that after being unbeaten and successfully defending his UFC lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Khabib declared his retirement from the Octagon in 2021.
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Soumya Ranjan
(2167 Articles Published)