"Can we stop with the nonsense?” - Khabib Nurmagomedov’s former teammate weighs in on Ilia Topuria calling out ‘The Eagle’
Khabib Nurmagomedov continues to be called out by the current crop of UFC fighters even though he has been retired since 2020 and appears no closer to returning to the sport.
Following Ilia Topuria's recent victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 to become the new featherweight champion, he claimed that in a "dream fight" against 'The Eagle', Topuria would come out on top.
The Spaniard's recent call out of the former lightweight champion drew a variety of reactions from fans, and now a former teammate of Nurmagomedov has shared his thoughts on the matter.
During a recent episode of the Weighin' In Podcast, Josh Thomson, a former UFC title challenger and longtime teammate of 'The Eagle', said the following:
"Right now, [Topuria] is out calling out everyone. He's out talking trash, and I don't feel like he needs to. He is somebody that has been very confident, when he speaks it's very concise. But the fact that the is like, 'I would be happy to enter the octagon with Khabib Nurmagomedov. He was undefeated, record of 29-0 and has an attractive record for me.' Can we stop with the nonsense with the Khabib thing?"
He continued:
"This guy's been retired for three years. He's still probably the most talked about fighter in the game and he's been gone for three years."
Catch Thomson's comments about Khabib Nurmagomedov below from 2:00:
Khabib Nurmagomedov received millions in property from Vladimir Putin, says Dana White
Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of, if not the most famous fighter to hail from Russia. The undefeated former UFC champion is one of the biggest stars the sport has seen, as well as one of the most dominant fighters in MMA history.
According to UFC CEO Dana White, 'The Eagle' received up to $20 million in property from Russia's president, Vladimir Putin, following Nurmagomedov's fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 229.
During a recent appearance on the Games with Names podcast, White stated that Putin was on the phone with the former lightweight champion before he made it back to the locker room:
"He didn't even make it back to his dressing room after the fight and Putin was on the phone. And Putin gave him and his father like $20 million worth of property in Russia."
Catch White's comments about Khabib Nurmagomedov below: