Watch: Khabib Nurmagomedov's humble response to Andrew Tate praising him in old UFC 229 reaction video
Andrew Tate has, in the past, showered praises on Khabib Nurmagomedov. At one point, the older Tate brother's comments prompted 'The Eagle' to issue a very humble response.
Nurmagomedov was recently part of a public gathering in Malaysia. It was organized by the Malaysia-based Islamic educational event organizer 'Faith Events.' Malaysian influencer Zandra Aziela (aka Zandra Hakimi) was in attendance and posted footage of Nurmagomedov, who was onstage for the event on Sept. 29, 2024.
During his Q&A session, Khabib Nurmagomedov was shown an old video of Andrew Tate, in which the kickboxing veteran addressed the Nurmagomedov-McGregor fight. Tate suggested that Conor McGregor was busy with a number of distractions outside the octagon.
'Cobra' opined that McGregor trained hard. However, he underscored that fighting is more than mere training and is about something deep inside you. Tate highlighted the Nurmagomedov-McGregor dichotomy, lauding 'The Eagle' for his single-mindedness in his preparation. The American-British influencer stated:
"And this Khabib guy, I knew Khabib was going to win. Khabib is a strict Muslim -- 'I believe in the power of Allah. Train, Allah, train, Allah, train, Allah.' There's nothing else to his life. Do you want to go and spend millions of dollars? No. Do you want to go club? No. Do you want girls? No. Train and Allah. That's it. How the f**k you gonna beat that guy?"
He went on to add:
"Nothing else crossed Khabib's mind, but whooping Conor's a**. Conor was thinking about 12 -- what's it called? F**king, whatever something, 'Proper Twelve' contracts, and that, and those ti**ies on that chick. She had some nice ti**ies. Okay, time to train. Okay, now, back to ti**ies. It doesn't work that way."
Watch Tate's assessment below:
During the event in Malaysia this past Sunday, Khabib Nurmagomedov responded to being shown Andrew Tate's aforementioned video. Nurmagomedov responded by saying:
"I think more than important I always surprised why people surprised if I know something. Like, for example, about my religion or about my country. It's, everybody has to know this."
Watch Nurmagomedov's reaction below (0:14):
Khabib Nurmagomedov's and Andrew Tate's legal battles in 2024
Earlier this year, the Russian government reportedly seized Khabib Nurmagomedov's assets in the country over allegedly unpaid taxes of around $3.4 million. Conor McGregor and many others accused Nurmagomedov of fleeing Russia to avoid prosecution.
Furthermore, there was speculation that 'The Eagle' had moved to the U.A.E. In August 2024, SHOT Telegram reported that Nurmagomedov had paid the $3.4 million he owed Russia's FTS (Federal Tax Service).
Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA in Oct. 2020. Meanwhile, Conor McGregor hasn't competed since July 2021, but his comeback could possibly materialize in early 2025.
As for Andrew Tate, he hasn't competed in kickboxing since Dec. 2020. Andrew and his younger brother Tristan Tate have been embroiled in a legal battle in Romania since December 2022, facing allegations of perpetrating human trafficking and several other crimes.