Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager shares why the Russian is different from other Champions
Champions should never compromise with fight purses and make sure to get paid right, but Khabib Nurmagomedov does not do that.
Khabib does not fight for money, said his longtime manager and the CEO of Dominance MMA, Ali Abdelaziz to MMA Junkie at their media day in Park Theater.
Ali Abdelaziz: Khabib is a little bit different
The current Lightweight Champion has an undefeated streak of 28 wins in his career till date, 12 of which have come under the UFC banner. In his last outing, Khabib submitted Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in September last year, retaining his 155-pound belt once again.
He is now slated to fight Tony Ferguson for the next title defense at UFC 249 - an event that has been up in the air ever since the coronavirus outbreak forced the promotion to put a pause on business.
Speaking about Khabib at the media day, Abdelaziz glossed on the fact that Khabib is not like other Champions. He is an exception when it comes to fighting for the paycheck.
"(Champions should focus on) getting paid – except for one guy. I think everybody should get paid. Khabib is not about getting paid. He’s a little different. I think he should fight for money. That’s what he’s doing this for, (but) Khabib is a little bit different."
Abdelaziz believes Khabib still has five more years of fighting left in him. But with the legacy he has left behind, even if he quits tomorrow, his manager would be happy for him.
"When he leaves, we’re all going to miss him – the way he handled the sport (and) handled himself. I think Khabib could fight for five more years, but if he retired tomorrow, I’m happy. If he fought a fight tomorrow, I’m happy. I want him to do what he wants."
Khabib has currently gone back to Russia to continue with his UFC 249 training since it became clear that the event will not be taking place in the United States. Dana White spoke to Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole on the latter's Instagram Live session, where he has said with conviction that a venue for Khabib vs. Ferguson has been fixed, but he cannot share any details about it yet.