"He told me that he was bored" - When Cristiano Ronaldo confided in Khabib Nurmagomedov ahead of leaving Juventus FC for Manchester United

Khabib Nurmagomedov (left), Cristiano Ronaldo (right) [Image courtesy of @teamkhabib on Twitter]

Back in 2021, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Cristiano Ronaldo shared a personal moment when the Manchester United forward was thinking about leaving his former club Juventus. Ronaldo, of course, eventually returned to his old club in Manchester, but Nurmagomedov opened up about what was said before the move in an interview.

The former undefeated UFC lightweight champion stated that 'CR7' had expressed his boredom at being in Italy and was keen to return to United. While speaking to reporters at the New Knowledge Marathon in Russia, Nurmagomedov stated:

"A month ago, he told me that he was moving to Manchester United. I expected this deal to take place. I think that Manchester United is more suitable for him than Juventus. For me, the transition was not a surprise."

'The Eagle' continued:

"I wouldn’t like to reveal our private chat. Well, he told me that he was bored in Italy and that he would like to move to England."

He is a best ever, keep doing your things Champ, you inspire millions of people around the World 🌍
@Cristiano https://t.co/CwehesVlFK

Khabib Nurmagomedov went on to say that he doesn't like watching Italian football and prefers the Premier League in England. Another hot take from the former UFC fighter was his opinion around Lionel Messi in comparison to Cristiano Ronaldo. When asked if he believed 'CR7' was better than the Argentinian, 'The Eagle' simply stated:

"Yes, I do. Well, Messi plays very well, too. He is one of the best players ever. I think they are on the same level skill-wise, but Cristiano has more charisma."

When Khabib Nurmagomedov was offered a contract by a professional football club

Besides being one of the most dominant champions in MMA history, Khabib Nurmagomedov also clearly has a passion for football. In January 2021, the UFC Hall of Famer even got an offer from a professional football club in Russia.

FC Kamaz made an offer to the former UFC fighter, claiming that they would love to be able to give Nurmagomedov his professional football debut.

Watch the former UFC champion play football here:

It's unknown how legitimate the offer was from FC Kamaz, as Khabib Nurmagomedov never officially accepted it. Perhaps this was a mistake from the former UFC fighter, with the Russian football club currently sitting atop the Russian FNL division, which is the second-highest tier in the country's football pyramid.

FC Kamaz are a team with a relatively limited history, only being founded 41 years ago. Last season, the club finished 17th in the FNL but are doing much better this time around.