UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan made headlines recently after appearing on the PBD Podcast, where he casually dropped a claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally funded the construction of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s gym.
The statement drew immediate attention online, but it runs contrary to what Khabib himself addressed and cleared up years ago.
During the conversation, Arman was explaining the depth of support Russia extends to its top athletes, making a comparison with how the United States handles its sports community.
“If you’re a wrestler, for example, here government, they don’t pay money to you. But in Russia, we get paid. If you’re like an Olympic team, if you’re Russian champion, you get paid money. If you win once in your life Olympic game, Olympic medal, you getting paid all your life until you die,” Arman said.
He went further, describing the long-term financial rewards for consistent performers. “Can imagine if you win three times, you’re getting paid three or 4,000 every month for the rest of your life.” Beyond recurring income, Arman noted that the Russian government extends its support into infrastructure. “If you’re a gold medalist and you want to build your own gym, they gift you money to build your own gym.”
That detail led directly to his comments about Khabib. “You got, even Khabib, he got paid for his gym. They built for him a gym,” Arman said.
When the host followed up with a direct question, “So Putin helped Khabib build his gym?” Arman confirmed without hesitation, “Yes.”
The claim, while delivered with confidence, does not align with the full picture. Khabib addressed the claim directly on social media, shutting it down. Reacting to Arman’s comments, he wrote, “This is absolutely not true. No one ever paid for my bills or built gyms for me.”
While it is true that Putin at one point expressed interest in funding a gym for Khabib in Moscow, that project never moved forward.
Khabib went on to fund and construct a sports facility in his home village of Sildi entirely on his own, and also took it upon himself to repair the roads there.
Speaking in an interview previously, Khabib said, “Yes, we have a base under construction now. I’m building it myself… Around 80 people can train and live there at the same time. We are 70% ready.”
The reporter then asked directly about the rumors of government backing, “Is this the base to which they thought Putin gave 600 million?”
Khabib dismissed the claim, responding, “No, this is a base I am building myself… And about that decree, I do not know in which office that decree is stuck. This is not a question for me.”
