"I don't wanna make boxing community upset with me" - Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals why he turned down $100 million for fighting Floyd Mayweather
Ali Abdelaziz revealed a few months ago that Khabib Nurmagomedov got offered $100 million to fight Floyd Mayweather, but turned it down.
Abdelaziz, the manager and longtime friend of the former UFC lightweight champion, made the claim on the Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson podcast. He said that Khabib turned it down for the same reason he decided to retire - to respect his mother's wishes.
Khabib Nurmagomedov himself recently appeared on the podcast and shared with hosts Mike Tyson and Henry Cejudo why he did not take the $100 million to fight the undefeated boxing legend.
"I don't wanna make boxing community upset with me," Khabib Nurmagomedov said with a laugh.
Jokes aside, it is widely known that Khabib Nurmagomedov never showed much interest in fighting for money, even though he is part of the highest grossing UFC pay-per-view to date.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: I came here for legacy
Khabib Nurmagomedov said in the podcast that he has nothing against making money and owns a number of businesses for money-making purposes.
However, the business of fighting was never about money for him and was always about leaving behind a legacy, which he most certainly did with a 29-0 undefeated record in the sport.
"Of course money makes sense too. But I never fight for money. Money is good, but most of the time it is bad. Money brings you to the situation that you have never been, and you don't know how to act when you have so much money. It is a little bit dangerous. In this business, I don't come to make money. I come here for legacy," Khabib Nurmagomedov said.
Khabib Nurmagomedov also revealed that Dana White once asked Ali Abdelaziz why 'The Eagle' never enquired about how much money he would make from a fight.
"I am not interested about how much money you're gonna give me. I already said I am retired and that's it. This makes sense, more than money. Of course, I have a lot of business because I want to make money. But this business, fighting business for me is not for making money... I know I was not here to make money in this business. I just wanted to become the best in the world," 'The Eagle' said.
Watch the full Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson podcast below: