5 legendary footballers who are big MMA fans
We've reached the business end of the ongoing UEFA Euro 2020. Fans across the globe are glued to their television sets to catch a glimpse of their favorite football stars in action.
For those who are unaware, undefeated UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov is a huge football/soccer fan and supports Spanish club Real Madrid. Since hanging up his gloves last year, Nurmagomedov seems to be spending a lot of time playing football with his friends and teammates.
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor is also a football fan and has supported English club Manchester United since his childhood. In many interviews in the past, Conor McGregor has confessed that he initially wanted to become a professional football player before switching to MMA.
Brazilian fighters Jose Aldo and Anderson Silva are also self-confessed football fans and have shown off their skills with the ball on various occasions. Just as a lot of MMA fighters are football fans, there are many popular footballers who don't just follow MMA but also include aspects of the sport in their training regimen.
Most recently, Czech striker Patrik Schick scored a goal against Croatia at the ongoing Euro 2020 and said that his celebration was a tribute to his favorite UFC fighter, Nate Diaz.
"I wanted to look like Nate Diaz, who is usually covered in blood after each fight. I was imitating him," said Schick to reporters after the game.
In this article, we will look at footballers who are big MMA fans and regularly follow the sport.
5) Sergio Ramos
Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos sent fans into a frenzy on social media when he asked Conor McGregor to visit him in Spain. Ramos was also seen imitating Conor McGregor's famous 'billionaire strut' while celebrating one of his goals during training. He also asked McGregor what he thought about the celebration.
In response, McGregor shared several video clips of himself shooting at goal in his backyard and asked Ramos what he thought of the Irishman's skills with the ball.
Ramos acknowledged McGregor's football skills were legitimate and went on to invite the Irishman to Real Madrid training the next time he visits Spain.
“Top class mate. Fancy a training session at Real Madrid,” Ramos wrote.