In a time of changing lifestyles, and cultures, it is safe to say that Khabib Nurmagomedov is the apostle of righteousness, dedication & devotion – a man with morals and principles. The Dagestani has etched an unblemished legacy in the sport of MMA, earning a fortune in the process but much like the great Muhammad Ali, ‘The Eagle’ is also super proud of his Islamic roots and deems it as real “wealth.”
Recently, the former undefeated UFC lightweight champion took to Instagram where he shared Ali’s famous quote –
“I asked Allah for wealth, he gave me Islam.”
Khabib resonates with Muhammad Ali pic.twitter.com/VIPQtM2HIG
— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) September 20, 2024
Taking pride in his faith, Khabib credits the almighty for all his success. He’s humble despite retiring from the sport with an impeccable record of 29-0! While other athletes resort to trash talk, disrespecting their opponents to sell the fight, Khabib remained an exception, throughout his career. In fact, a major chunk of his routine revolves around training and prayers.
Muhammad Ali was also another icon who adopted Islam later in his life after discovering the true meaning of the philosophy. Much like Ali, Khabib is your perfect role model, the man has stayed true to himself, and has made an impact inside the ring as well as outside it.
Despite his accolades, Khabib remains humble even to the extent that when he was compared to Ali, the undefeated Dagestani simply dismissed it.
When Khabib deemed comparison Ali “inappropriate”
Muhammed Ali on the other hand was brought up in during segregation in America, in the midst of Jim Crow laws. He not only had to beat fellow boxers to be the best in the world, he had to defeat systemic racism to do so. There were times when parties hosted in his honor of him the wouldn’t have him attend them because he was African American.
Then he was stripped of his world title because he refused to be drafted to the American military to fight in the Vietnam war. When he was asked about why he wouldn’t serve the country when called to action, the great one had eloquently said:
“Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called N**** people in Louisville are treated like dogs and denied simple human rights?”
He was sentenced to five years in prison for this. So while fans might compare Khabib with him, for their influence on the community, the Dagestani feels like comparing him to the man is a bit of a stretch.
Though he loves the idea of being spoken in the same breath as the former heavyweight champion, the Russian, being aware of Ali’s history said:
“He [Ali] changed the attitude towards his race very much, so we cannot be compared. To be able to compare me with him, I need to go back to those years and be black and be a champion. After, we would see how I would behave in such a situation. In this case, we can be compared. I like that people compare us, but I think it is inappropriate.”
Amen! Like Mike Tyson once said about being compared to Ali, “I’m vain. I know I’m great but in this situation every head must bow, every tongue must confess, this (Muhammad Ali) is the greatest of all time.”
