MMA icon Khabib Nurmagomedov has dismantled his commercial empire in his homeland and redirected his focus toward the United Arab Emirates.
According to sources, the former UFC lightweight champion now generates the bulk of his estimated $46-50 million annual income from ventures outside Russia. Since 2021, Nurmagomedov has been quietly extracting himself from Russian operations, leaving behind a trail of dissolved partnerships and transferred ownership stakes.
The exodus includes his departure from the Rossi Foundation and his own charitable organization. Hikmit Travel, his travel agency, was liquidated entirely. The clothing brand Sildi was handed over to his brother, while he stepped away from his role as co-founder of First Mobile Internet provider.
Most notably, he transferred control of Eagles FC to Ziyavudin Magomedov, who was convicted in 2018 of embezzlement and creating an organized group to commit offenses. According to available information, several of that organization’s accounts have since been frozen, primarily due to tax violations.
Nurmagomedov’s business retreat coincides with a turbulent period in his relationship with Russian authorities. Earlier this year, the former champion found himself facing a $3.4 million tax bill from the Russian Federal Tax Service.
The consequences were immediate and severe: frozen bank accounts and the seizure of his collection of luxury vehicles.
Eventually, Nurmagomedov settled the debt in full, resolving what had become an increasingly public dispute. Yet Shamil Zavurov, President of Eagle FC and a close associate, suggested the situation was more complicated than simple financial oversight.
Zavurov indicated that media coverage may have exaggerated the issue, hinting that the tax matter stemmed from Nurmagomedov’s recent relocations rather than chronic mismanagement.
The tax controversy wasn’t the only source of tension. Authorities raided Nurmagomedov’s gyms in connection with a terrorist attack in Dagestan, the region where the MMA legend was raised.
Officials believed that individuals linked to the attack had trained at his facilities, though no direct connection to Nurmagomedov himself was established. The incident further strained his relationship with Russian officials.
Top-ranked Bellator contender Alexandr Shabliy, who faced Khabib trainee Usman Nurmagomedov in September, offered a different interpretation of the former champion’s troubles.
“In general, this situation is connected with the fact that it wasn’t just that it turned out that Khabib had some unpaid taxes. This is a situation of counterbalance between the country and Khabib. Khabib did not support the political decisions of the state, and in response, the state took such measures. I think that it is no secret that our state has a tough policy and controls the resources that it has,” Shabliy told.
Though Nurmagomedov has maintained a friendly relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin, he has also voiced opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. When meeting with former US President Donald Trump at a UFC event, the retired champion specifically requested intervention to end the conflict.
Now, Nurmagomedov’s business interests in the UAE have flourished. His KHABIB GYM chain generates up to $6 million annually in royalties alone. He acquired the Gorilla FC promotion for $1 million and rebranded it as EAGLE FC. Combined, his Emirates-based projects produce revenues estimated in the tens of millions of dollars each year.
