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Khabib Nurmagomedov Gives a One-Word Heartfelt Reaction as Zlatan Ibrahimovic Announces His Retirement From Football

Afnan Chougle
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Khabib Nurmagomedov, Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s love for football is well-known among his fans. Despite being regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters by many, he has always shown a strong interest in various sports, particularly football. In fact, ‘The Eagle’ once mentioned that if he hadn’t pursued a career in MMA, he would have chosen football instead. Thanks to his popularity, Nurmagomedov has had the opportunity to connect with numerous football stars, including AC Milan’s forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Nurmagomedov and Ibrahimovic have developed a friendly bond, often speaking highly of each other. Recently, when Ibrahimovic announced his retirement, the Russian MMA legend expressed his heartfelt reaction through a social media post.

What did Khabib Nurmagomedov say about Zlatan Ibrahimovic?

The 41-year-old footballer announced his retirement from football following AC Milan’s final game of 2022-23. In response, the former UFC lightweight champion posted a video of Ibrahimovic’s farewell on his Instagram story. He also tagged the Swedish star and wrote:

“Legend”

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is widely regarded as one of the best players of all time. He had a colorful career playing for major clubs such as FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris St-German, and others.

Sadly, he called it a day after his last game at AC Milan at the age of 41. Ibrahimovic received a heartwarming farewell from fans and teammates. He can be seen with teary eyes in the farewell video posted by Serie A League’s Twitter account. The fans will always miss the Swedish star’s presence.

‘The Eagle’ is back to training

Khabib Nurmagomedov, despite being one of the best, retired early from professional fighting. The decision came after the mixed martial artist lost his father during Covid-19.

Following retirement, Nurmagomedov took a coach’s role and was training his friends and teammates for their MMA careers. While he was doing great, Nurmagomedov stepped away from the role, for yet another family-related reason.

This left his fans heartbroken. Nurmagomedov, however, recently uploaded a few pictures of himself exercising on Instagram. He was then seen in the American Kickboxing Academy gym with his old teammates.

Although ‘The Eagle’ will not be making a comeback, supporters are overjoyed to see him working with teammates again. As a result, it is reasonable to believe that Nurmagomedov is reconsidering his coaching role.

Do you guys think Nurmagomedov will return to coaching? What are your thoughts on his reaction to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s retirement?

About the author

Afnan Chougle

Afnan Chougle

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Afnan Chougle is a UFC author and content manager at The SportsRush. Afnan has written over 900 articles about combat sports before joining The SportsRush. He has now worked in the industry for over two years. He uses his expertise and enthusiasm to advance his professional career and offers insightful commentary on anything related to combat sports. Since UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov fan Afnan has faithfully followed MMA. Besides "The Eagle," Muhammad Ali is his favorite athlete. Apart from his professional exploits as a UFC journalist, Afnan enjoys honing his skills as an amateur actor/boxer and loves going on occasional treks.

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