Following the biggest win of his MMA career, former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov received a life-changing gift from Vladimir Putin.
On October 6, 2018, ‘The Eagle’ stepped inside the Octagon to defend his 155-pound title against Irish megastar Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Nurmagomedov famously scored a fourth-round submission victory over ‘Mystic Mac’ prompting the Russian President to give him a call directly.
However, Putin was left waiting on hold for an extended period after Nurmagomedov notoriously hopped the cage wall and dove into the crowd, attempting to attack one of McGregor’s cornermen — Dillon Danis. By the time things calmed down and Nurmagomedov waded his way through a sea of security guards and police officers, he was fortunate enough to find that Putin was still waiting to speak with him.
“He didn’t even make it back to his dressing room after the fight, and Putin was on the phone,” UFC CEO Dana White said while discussing the UFC 229 saga on the “Games with Names” podcast. “Putin gave him and his father, like, $20 million worth of property in Russia. Then he went into the Muslim territories where these guys are like, cars, money, gyms, whatever he wanted.”
Dana said Putin gave Khabib and his dad $20 Million in properties after he fought Conor 😮💨
🎥@gameswithnames pic.twitter.com/6iRy6UfbNK
— Fredo (@AintFredoYou) February 21, 2024
Dana White Offered Khabib Nurmagomedov a Massive Sum to Make UFC Return
Though ‘The Eagle’ was already plenty rich thanks to his impeccable combat sports career, Putin’s lavish gift made sure that Nurmagomedov never had to fight another day in his life. He would go on to defend his title two more times before walking away from the sport.
Despite Dana White’s best efforts to lure him back to the Octagon — reportedly offering a whopping $40 million — Numagomedov has remained adamant that he is retired.
“Once you get to that level [of Nurmagomedov’s fame], it’s like what we’re dealing with with Conor McGregor,” White said. “Conor McGregor lives in a yacht in the middle of wherever the warmest place in the world is at that time. Once you get to that level, you’re not getting up and getting punched in the face anymore.”
Watch the full episode below:
