"MJ drops to second place" - Khabib Nurmagomedov playing 'rugby' basketball with teammates elicits hilarious fan reactions
Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely considered the greatest lightweight fighter in UFC history and is undeniably one of the greatest MMA fighters ever. However, it seems mixed martial arts isn't the only sport he's adept at.
'The Eagle' was recently seen playing a unique rugby basketball game with his teammates. The game is seemingly based on basketball but incorporates some rugby features, like running with the ball in hands instead of constantly dribbling it.
Khabib Nurmagomedov took to Instagram to post a video of himself playing the sport and wrote in the caption:
"Rugby [basketball]. A game for the skillful and courageous."
Needless to say, fans were highly impressed by the former UFC lightweight champion's hooping skills and took to the post's comments section to express their thoughts.
One fan hilariously joked about Michael Jordan dropping to second place in the basketball GOAT conversation and wrote:
"MJ drops to second place."
Another fan jokingly wrote:
"LeBron James cries when he plays basketball with them."
One user took a shot at UFC lightweight contender Tony Ferguson and wrote:
"Not for Tony Ferguson then."
Another user wrote:
"Freestyle basketball, no foul, full wrestling, a couple of takedowns as well."
Check out some more reactions below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov on the Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira title rematch
Khabib Nurmagomedov recently weighed in on the highly anticipated Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira lightweight title rematch. 'The Eagle' opined that the rematch would be a tougher outing for his teammate and close friends due to the Brazilian having nothing to lose.
Makhachev and Oliveira are slated to run it back at UFC 294 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 21. The lightweight championship bout will be the headliner, while an exciting middleweight bout between Paulo Costa and Khamzat Chimaev will serve as the co-main event.
In their first meeting at UFC 280, Islam Makhachev dispatched Charles Oliveira via second-round submission. Given his dominant performance, the Dagestani grappling phenom is widely favored to win the rematch.
In an interview with Gorilla Fighting, Khabib Nurmagomedov admitted that the rematch would be a tough fight for both lightweights. He continued:
"Will the rematch be more difficult than the first fight? Yes, it's more difficult. For Islam there will be more risk. Oliveira has nothing to lose, he has already lost... I don't think it will be an easy fight for both of them. For Islam, the second fight will be harder than the first. This is my purely personal opinion.”
Watch the full video below: