Vladimir Putin gave former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov a life-changing present after he achieved the greatest victory of his mixed martial arts career.
On October 6, 2018, Nurmagomedov graced the Octagon to defend his coveted 155-pound title against Irish MMA icon Conor McGregor. The highly anticipated clash culminated in Nurmagomedov’s iconic fourth-round submission victory over McGregor, capturing the attention of the Russian President himself.
But it seems like Putin was forced to wait a long time. After the win, Nurmagomedov famously leaped the cage wall and rushed into the crowd. He tried to assault Dillon Danis, one of McGregor’s cornermen. Fortunately for Nurmagomedov, Putin was still waiting to talk with him when things finally settled down and he made his way past a sea of security personnel.
UFC CEO Dana White shed light on the remarkable turn of events that happened that day during the Games with Names podcast. He said: “He didn’t even make it back to his dressing room after the fight, and Putin was on the phone. Putin gave him and his father, like, $20 million worth of property in Russia. Then he went into the Muslim territories where these guys are like, cars, money, gyms, whatever he wanted.”
While Nurmagomedov had already amassed wealth through his exemplary combat sports career, Putin’s generosity ensured that Nurmagomedov would never have to step into the cage again. The former champion went on to defend his title twice more before making the decision to retire from the sport.
Even Dana White’s best attempts to get him back to the Octagon was futile. He even offered Khabib a whooping $40 million for his comeback.
White stated: “Once you get to that level [of Nurmagomedov’s fame], it’s like what we’re dealing with with Conor McGregor. Conor McGregor lives in a yacht in the middle of wherever the warmest place in the world is at that time. Once you get to that level, you’re not getting up and getting punched in the face anymore.”