Khabib Nurmagomedov is an iconic UFC fighter. He achieved his fame due to his dominant grappling skills and his bitter rivalry with Conor McGregor. After his fight with McGregor, his fame was boosted to a great extent. It is often said that ‘Fame’ is easier to achieve but harder to handle. Nurmagomedov spoke about the matter during his appearance on the Full Send Podcast. In the YouTube video which was uploaded on February 3, 2022, ‘The Eagle’ spoke about how he was impressed with Dwayne Johnson and Cristiano Ronaldo for the way they handled fame.
Nurmagomedov has a very quiet and introverted personality. He prefers to remain away from the spotlight. This is why he doesn’t give many interviews or attend events.
However, on a rare appearance in a podcast with the Nelk boys, he gave insights regarding his personality and how he learns from other prominent personalities.
How Cristiano Ronaldo and Dwayne Johnson inspired Khabib Nurmagomedov
During the episode of the Full Send podcast, they discussed various subjects such as his retirement, post-fight brawl with team McGregor and his new business ‘Eagle FC’. One such interesting topic of discussion was regarding how lives change once you achieve fame and how to handle it. Khabib said:
“I don’t think someone can handle this. I don’t understand, for example, like, Cristiano Ronaldo like The Rock like so many guys, like, they more popular than me I don’t understand. They more popular than me but how they living, I don’t understand this. Like, for me, it’s like very hard. I want to stay out, you know, with friends. But right now, I all the time stay home.” (37:50 – 38:43)
The Dagestani recalled how he was a street boy and used to stay out of his home most of the time. Before he became famous, he used to walk around the streets without the unwanted attention.
Nurmagomedov also mentioned how he is inspired by other famous athletes, such as Dwayne Johnson and Cristiano Ronaldo, who were way more famous than him.
However, now due to his fame, he has to stay home even when he wants to stay out with friends at times. He even gave an insight into why he chose to retire earlier than what many would have predicted.
How introvert Nurmagomedov felt after retirement
‘The Eagle’ broke the heart of many fans when he announced his retirement on 24th October 2020, after his win against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Many experts, pundits, and even Dana White himself thought the decision was a premature one and persuaded him to come back.
Despite the efforts, Nurmagomedov stayed true to his decision. He even explained the reason behind it in an interview with UFC Russia. In his explanation, ‘The Eagle’ described how he was living the life of an ordinary person and not of a professional athlete.
According to him, the life of an athlete is somewhat close to being held in prison, as an athlete has to train, rest, and do the same thing again without slowing down. (H/T: MMA Fighting)
“I am living the life of an ordinary person, not the one of a professional athlete. It’s (life of an athlete) like living in the same mode, at the same pace, not slowing down. Once you slow down, you are no longer a champion. So I have just released myself from this prison in a way.“
The Eagle further stated that the champion inside him still misses the big stage. He explained how there are many moments when he yearns for the competitiveness. However, he does not regret making the decision to retire.
While the MMA community keeps bringing in the former lightweight champion’s decision to retire at a relatively young age, they do hail him for his undefeated MMA record and performances, which have given him a lot of respect and fame.
