UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov delivered candid criticism of promotional practices in mixed martial arts during his appearance at the World Sports Summit in Dubai, expressing frustration with what he sees as unfair treatment of skilled competitors who don’t fit a certain marketing profile.
The undefeated lightweight champion addressed what he perceives as bias in fighter recruitment, stating his concerns about the new generation of competitors from Dagestan. “I feel very bad for US promotions,” Khabib said. “There is so many hungry fighters coming. And they don’t like to talk. They don’t like trash talk. They just come, smash people and take money. And US promotions, they don’t like this.”
The retired champion, who finished his career with a perfect 29-0 record, emphasized the conflict between sport and entertainment.
“They like trash talking. They like entertainment. I understand. In one way, it’s business. But in other way, end of the day, this is sport,” he explained during the conversation with former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand.
Khabib revealed concerning trends he’s witnessed regarding fighter signings. “Last couple years we saw so many fighters they cut. They don’t even lose in UFC, they just finish contract, they don’t give him new contract,” he said, adding that he believes someone needs to address this issue publicly because “this is not fair.”
The coaching mentor recalled his own early experiences with the promotion. “I remember myself 2012 when just they signed me, they told me, ‘My friend, your name is very hard to say, you need nickname’,” Khabib shared.
He initially questioned why he needed a nickname when he had his own name, eventually adopting “The Eagle” as a symbol of Dagestan. “But after six years everybody knows my name. This is how we do.”
His strongest criticism came when discussing current fighters from his region. “Right now with so many young fighters, they good, undefeated world champions, amateur and professional. And they don’t want to sign them because they need somebody who talking, who drinking, who show up all this stuff,” Khabib stated bluntly.
He acknowledged the business side while maintaining his position on fairness. “It have to be fair. Best versus best, not like best dancer or who have best higher cut fight like or who have best followers.” Khabib suggested a compromise approach, proposing organizations could split their focus equally between entertainment and pure competition rather than prioritizing one completely.
The former champion currently coaches approximately 500 amateur fighters in Dagestan, with seven scheduled to compete at a February 7 event in Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena.
