Khabib Nurmagomedov’s trouble with the Russian Federal Tax Service may have been more political than financial.
Earlier this year, ‘The Eagle’ found himself in hot water after reports revealed that he owed the Russian government $3.4 million in unpaid taxes. As a result, Nurmagomedov’s bank accounts were frozen and his fleet of luxury cars was seized.
Nurmagomedov cleared the debt earlier this month, killing rumors of his UFC return or a potential debut in boxing. However, there may be more to the story than originally thought. During a recent interview, top-ranked Bellator lightweight contender Alexandr Shabliy suggested that political disagreements were the root cause of Nurmagomedov’s seized assets and frozen accounts.
“In general, this situation is connected with the fact that it wasn’t just that it turned out that Khabib had some unpaid taxes,” Shabliy said. “This is a situation of counterbalance between the country and Khabib.
“Khabib did not support the political decisions of the state, and in response, the state — as in response to many bloggers who pursued opposition policies and did not support the government’s position — took such measures. I think that it is no secret that our state has a tough policy and controls the resources that it has.”
Video where Shabliy talks about Khabib tax problems. Basically, he confirms here that it has a political background. I assume it has to do with Khabib's stance on war. pic.twitter.com/pRZ4sqqaFJ
— BT (@tinasla3) August 22, 2024
Did Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Stance on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine Put Him on the Government’s Sh*t List?
While Nurmagomedov has been chummy with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the years, ‘The Eagle’ has spoken out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine on a number of occasions. Nurmagomedov even pleaded with former U.S. president Donald Trump to stop the bloodshed should he retake the White House in November.
Shabliy didn’t directly mention the war, but it’s reasonable to suspect that the Russian government may have targeted Nurmagomedov after his outspoken condemnation of the invasion that began in February 2022.
As for Shabliy, the 24-3 fighter will challenge Nurmagomedov’s cousin and reigning Bellator lightweight champion, Usman Numragomedov, on Friday, September 7 when the promotion heads to San Diego for its latest Champions Series event.
𝙎𝘼𝙉 𝘿𝙄𝙀𝙂𝙊 𝙁𝙐𝙇𝙇 𝙁𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 𝘾𝘼𝙍𝘿! 🔥
👑 Usman Nurmagomedov 🆚 Alexander Shabliy 🇷🇺
🇺🇸 Raufeon Stots 🆚 Marcos Breno 🇧🇷
🇺🇸 Lorenz Larkin 🆚 Levan Chokheli 🇬🇪 #BellatorSanDiego is 𝙎𝙏𝘼𝘾𝙆𝙀𝘿!
🇺🇸 #BellatorSanDiego
📅 Saturday 7th September
🏟️ Pechanga… pic.twitter.com/LVWSmB57q6— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) August 11, 2024
