After his final bout in 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from professional fighting. Later, he stepped in for his father and began coaching friends and colleagues for their MMA careers. Islam Makhachev, a rising lightweight UFC fighter, was among them. ‘The Eagle’ assisted Makhachev in becoming UFC champion on October 22, 2022, at UFC 280. Later, Nurmagomedov stepped away from MMA entirely. Nurmagomedov, fortunately for Makhachev, has returned as his coach to prepare him for his rematch against Charles Oliveira later this month. Days after this announcement, Makhachev’s acquaintance and well-known Russian social media star Hasbulla Magomedov also confirmed his participation in the rematch.
Hasbulla Magomedov’s call-out videos received a lot of attention from the MMA world between 2020 to 2021. He amassed such a large fan base that the UFC officially hired him for public relations.
Interestingly, Hasbulla is also linked to Team Khabib members since he comes from the same nation. He often attends their fights and promotes them on social media.
After Khabib Nurmagomedov, Hasbulla extends support to Islam Makhachev
Makhachev appeared to be his best in his last bout against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. Following that, many picked out Nurmagomedov’s absence from his camp and corner as the reason.
However, Makhachev stated in a recent interview that Nurmagomedov will be in his camp for the rematch, which is slated for UFC 294 on October 21, 2023, at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
see you soon Abu Dhabi!!!
only a short time till @ufc pic.twitter.com/qUpf2gOifp
— Hasbulla (@Hasbulla_NFT) October 5, 2023
After that, Hasbulla Magomedov took to his official Twitter account to confirm his attendance at UFC 294. He posted a picture of himself signing a UFC glove and wrote in the caption:
“see you soon Abu Dhabi!!! only a short time till @ufc.”
‘Mini Khabib’ stood cage side for his pal Makhachev when he fought Oliveira at UFC 280 in the same stadium in 2022. Indicating the same support, Hasbulla tagged Makhachev on the same post.
While it is advantageous for Team Khabib that the rematch will take place in the same location, Oliveira objected to this. Makhachev, on the other hand, took to Twitter to clarify his position on the site of the rematch.
Islam Makhachev snaps back at Charles Oliveira over location remarks
A large fan base in a particular region provides crucial support to athletes, and Islam Makhachev is well-suited to compete in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Oliveira, not only lost in Abu Dhabi, but he also had to deal with a chorus of boos from the spectators last year.
As a result, in a recent interview with James Lynch, the Brazilian raised hesitation about the venue of the rematch. However, Makhachev stated in a tweet that he was willing to fight wherever and that Abu Dhabi was the UFC’s selection.
Although having a supportive area has its advantages, Oliveira was also welcomed warmly by officials in Abu Dhabi. Thus, it is up to the fighter to consent to it and shine within the octagon regardless of the location.
