Ali Abdelaziz says Khabib Nurmagomedov's Hall of Fame induction before Anderson Silva shows how much UFC and Dana White respect him
Ali Abdelaziz recently weighed in on Khabib Nurmagomedov's induction into the UFC Hall of Fame. According to Abdelaziz, the fact that Nurmagomedov will be presented with the honor ahead of a UFC legend such as Anderson Silva is a testament to how much the UFC respects the former lightweight champion.
Nurmagomeov's former manager also claims that the Dagestani fighter is someone "we want our kids to be like." The 44-year old recently told 'The Schmo':
"Khabib [Nurmagomedov] is a guy we want our kids to be like. You know, he's such a grest human being. And if anybody deserves to be in Hall of Fame is him. You see him get inducted before even guys like Anderson Silva. And I'm sure Anderson will be in the Hall of Fame. But that shows you how much Dana [White] and the UFC really respect him and I'm very grateful for that. They recognize the accomplish he had done, the impact he had done."
Watch Ali Abdelaziz's interview with The Schmo below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 during the promotion's International Fight Week in July. Often discussed in G.O.A.T. conversations, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 to win the vacant lightweight strap.
'The Eagle' then went on to record three dominant title defenses against Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor and Justin Gaethje. After his victory over Gaethje at UFC 254, Nurmagomedov bid farewell to the sport with an unblemished 29-0 record.
Khabib Nurmagomedov was angry at UFC 272
The announcement of Khabib Nurmagomedov's induction into the Hall of Fame was made during the broadcast of UFC 272 last weekend. However, Nurmagomedov was reportedly perturbed about something on Saturday night.
UFC president Dana White claims he repeatedly asked 'The Eagle' about the reason behind his anger. White told reporters at the UFC 272 post-fight scrum:
"He was pissed off tonight. I don't know what happened to Khabib. I kept telling him, 'What pissed you off tonight?'"
Watch Dana White's appearance at the UFC 272 post-fight press conference below:
One of the reasons behind Nurmagomedov's annoyance could be his teammate Tagir Ulanbekov's controversial loss to Tim Elliott.
After dropping the first round, Ulanbekov came back strong in the later rounds. Despite a dominant showing in the final round, the Dagestani fighter ended up on the short side of a unanimous decision. Currently holding a 14-2 professional record, this was Ulanbekov's first loss in three UFC outings.