Khabib Nurmagomedov reportedly turns down Elon Musk's request to help him prepare for Mark Zuckerberg
It seems Khabib Nurmagomedov isn't interested in training Elon Musk for a fight against Mark Zuckerberg. According to reports, the Tesla CEO approached the former UFC lightweight champion to help him prepare for a potential showdown against the Meta Platforms CEO. However, Nurmagomedov turned down the offer for undisclosed reasons.
In June, Musk and Zuckerberg engaged in some friendly back and forth on social media, joking about taking their competitiveness to the next level. This led to the two tech moguls seemingly agreeing to a cage fight. UFC president Dana White later revealed that he'd been in touch with both men and that they were serious about throwing down in the famed octagon for charity.
In anticipation of a fight, Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg trained with high-profile MMA stars like Georges St-Pierre, Israel Adesanya, and Alexander Volkanovski. However, Khabib Nurmagomedov wants to be left out of this spectacle.
In a recent report by Russian news agency TASS, 'The Eagle' turned down Musk's request to train him. The news agency reported that an unknown source stated:
"Elon Musk wanted Khabib Nurmagomedov to help him prepare for the fight against Zuckerberg. However, Khabib declined this proposal, and we do not know the reasons [for his refusal]."
The unnamed source also added that UFC Eurasia Director General Andrey Gromkovsky organized this project.
Nate Diaz slams Khabib Nurmagomedov for not being a "real" fighter
Nate Diaz isn't a fan of the way Khabib Nurmagomedov fights. It's no secret that the Stockton slugger has no love for the UFC Hall of Famer, and the two men have been involved in physical altercations in the past. Diaz has also taken many shots at Nurmagomdov's grappling-heavy fighting style and called it "boring" to watch.
While 'The Eagle' is widely considered the greatest lightweight the UFC has ever had on its roster, many fans have criticized him for sticking to an aggressive yet dominant sambo grappling style that ended most of his fights soon after they began.
In a recent interview on the Full Send Podcast, Nate Diaz reiterated his feelings about Khabib Nurmagomedov and said:
"Khabib is the worst. Just look at him, he ran off, he’s a jock. It’s not my style of fighting. I don’t like it... He’s not a real fighter. Him, ‘DC’ [Daniel Cormier], certain guys. I’m just not interested in that kind of fighting at all. Not wrestling because I love wrestling. It’s just the jocky attitude. I’m a real fighter. I like real fighters who fight for real.”