Soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic once made a fascinating statement in one of his interviews, The Swedish footballer is famous for his stints at Paris ST Germain, Manchester United, and the Milan clubs. However, he once clenched the headlines for his love for MMA and UFC. During the conversation, he revealed that he backed Khabib Nurmagomedov over Conor McGregor at UFC 229 due to the similarities with the Dagestani. Although Zlatan praised ‘The Notorious’ but he didn’t think the Irishman would win against ‘The Eagle’.
Ibrahimovic gained his fame by playing in multiple leagues and teams. Despite playing under different managers and teams his performance and discipline were consistent. However, playing at the top level and in several countries, he faced much backlash.
What’s more, Zlatan is a huge fan of MMA and Tae Kwan Do, Ibrahimovic received his first black belt in Tae Kwan Do when he was only 17 years old. That’s why the MMA community holds his opinion in higher regard than any casual athlete sharing their take on MMA.
“Khabib has better pace but Conor McGregor’s left hand will you in sleep” : Zlatan
Zlatan Ibrahimovic before his retirement sat down for an interview with Bethard. During the interview, Zlatan revealed his admiration for MMA and that he followed UFC. He also spoke about how well UFC was doing as a promotion and the iconic UFC 229 main event. Furthermore, he also revealed who he thought would win in the infamous fight between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Zlatan said, “I think Khabib will win because if he catches you, he doesn’t let you loose. He will make you suffer in the ring and you don’t normally suffer; he makes you give up in a way that looks very bad. But, I think if Conor wants to win, he has two rounds on him to knock him [Khabib Nurmagomedov] out. If you don’t knock him out, it’s over. He has better pace – because he goes five rounds and he goes full speed, and I think Conor, his condition is not on that level but if he gets the left hand on you, you’re falling asleep.“
Zlatan wasn’t present in the arena for the fight. He claimed that he is a huge fan of MMA and UFC. However, he had preparations to make for his match so he could not attend. What’s more, this isn’t the only time the Sweddish footballer has spoken highly of Khabib Nurmagomedov. According to Zlatan, there are similarities between him and the Dagestani.
When Ibrahimovic gave Nurmagomedov an inspirational message
Ibrahimovic once gave a very touching message to the Russian fighter. In an Instagram post, Nurmagomedov is seen, listening to a message he received from Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic said, “If you feel young, you are young. If you train hard, you train hard. And if you know you’re better than everybody, you’re better than everybody. You just have to do it. People talk when you’re number one. They just want to find something to go against you. It’s always the same sh*t.“
Zlatan remains a long-time supporter of Nurmagomedov, making him another famous athlete to admire the Dagestani. Furthermore, due to his adventure in the Soccer world, he can relate to a lot of challenges Nurmagomedov faced as a top athlete.
