Last month, Chael Sonnen praised Team Khabib as the only true team in sports, contrasting them with American franchises like the Lakers and Celtics, which he criticized for being driven solely by money. Sonnen argued that players in these teams are loyal only to contracts, whereas Khabib Nurmagomedov’s camp is built on genuine brotherhood and mutual growth. ‘The Eagle’ has now reacted to Chael’s remarks.
Sonnen had talked about how Khabib’s team operated differently from traditional sports organizations. He pointed out that fighters from Dagestan train together from a young age, support each other, and pass down their knowledge, fostering an unbreakable bond. Whereas, NBA franchises like the Celtics and the Lakers work purely for money. Allegiances and loyalties can switch in an instant based on who offers the bigger paycheck.
According to Sonnen, this makes Khabib’s team, the most authentic team in all sports, as their foundation is built on loyalty and shared values. Khabib, a man of very few words, didn’t say anything to Sonnen but reposted the video as a story on his Instagram with an emoji.
Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to Chael Sonnen’s comments pic.twitter.com/mN5Fc1LSkz
— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) February 9, 2025
Chael is not wrong here. Despite the fanfare that has followed the Dagestani camp since Khabib’s win over Conor McGregor at UFC 229, the team has remained rather grounded and continues to pass on, not just knowledge but their values to the next generation of martial artists, Dagestani and otherwise.
Despite Conor’s abuse of their family, republic, and religion, Khabib’s father Abdulmanap had invited him to Dagestan after the feud seemed to be over. And that magnanimity is something he passed on to Khabib. Khabib, now hopes he can live up to those ideals.
Khabib follows Abdulnanap’s footsteps, invites Huges to Dagestan
In the lead-up to the fight, Khabib had made a statement claiming Irish MMA was nowhere in the same league as its Dagestani counterpart. This had led to a reigniting of his feud with Conor, with Irish and Dagestani fans even clashing with each other on the eve of the fight.
However, after the fight came to an end, Khabib took the mic and told his fans to show Hughes and the Irish a lot of love and respect for their support of Palestine.
A day later, he took to social media to invite the Derry fighter to Dagestan. This gesture further solidified Khabib’s reputation as a true sportsman who values respect and camaraderie beyond competition.
Thank you for the fight @paulhughesmma and for the experience, I invite you and your whole team and family to Dagestan, any time you want, believe me you will like it and your arrival will serve as a good example for many young generations ✋
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) January 26, 2025
The invitation was more than just a friendly offer, it was a demonstration of the core philosophy of martial arts; respect, honor, and mutual growth.
Unfortunately, this led to a crash out by Conor, who threw slurs at Hughes and questioned his nationality. Conor asked Hughes to stop wearing the Irish flag because he was from Northern Ireland, a part of the country that still remains with the United Kingdom. So Khabib stepped up again and asserted that Hughes was a real Irishman and that he didn’t need to listen to McGregor.
