Khabib Nurmagomedov might be one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history, but if you ask him, his real passion has always been soccer. Sure, he grew up wrestling bears and mastering combat sambo, but deep down, the guy is a die-hard football fan. He’s never been shy about it either, constantly talking about the sport and even showing off an encyclopedic knowledge of teams, players, and stats.
Whether it’s discussing legendary matches or breaking down tactics like a seasoned analyst, Khabib has proven time and time again that his love for soccer runs just as deep as his love for fighting.
In a throwback clip that is now resurfacing online, Nurmagomedov was seen flexing his soccer knowledge with UFC flyweight Manel Kape. Interestingly, before his fight against Asu Almabayev at UFC Fight Night on March 2, the Angolan striker had claimed to have really been in soccer when he was young.
But he had to quit because the sport made him way too aggressive, and only Jiu-Jitsu was able to calm him down. But he maintains harboring a deep love for the beautiful game in his heart even to this day.
But not like Khabib. In the video from 2021, Khabib is seen getting competitive about his knowledge of the sport with Kape.
To prove his point, he even lists all the UEFA Champions League winners from 2005 to 2020.
“What do you know about soccer? Okay, for example, in 2005, who won the champions league?” he questions Kape.
“2005 Liverpool, 2006 Barcelona, 2007 Milan, 2008 Manchester, 2009 Barcelona, 2010 Inter, 2011 Barcelona, 2012 Chelsea, 2013 Bayern Munich, 2014 Real Madrid, 2015 Barcelona, 16,17,18 Real, 19 Liverpool, 20 Bayern Munich.”, Khabib answers his own questions like he’s reading through Wikipedia.
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The UEFA Champions League is Europe’s premier annual club football competition, bringing together top teams from various countries to compete for the title of Europe’s best.
Starting with a league phase, teams play multiple matches to qualify for the knockout rounds, culminating in a final where the champion is crowned. It’s one of the most prestigious tournaments in football, showcasing high-level competition and featuring some of the world’s best players.
You could call it the Club World Cup, but that’s actually another real event, so think of it like the NBA finals but for Europe.
And just like the most prominent basketball fans can sing out the names of all MVPs dating back to Kareen Abdul Jabbar, Khabib casually recounted all the Ballon d’Or winners from 2001 to 2008.
This fan just loves soccer. To the point where he reportedly even considered a switch in career.
Khabib about wanting to play pro football
Khabib’s early retirement in 2020 after a win against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in an empty arena in the middle of COVID-19 came as a shock to many. His father had just passed away, and he had promised his mother not to do this anymore. So, it was a truly chaotic time for everyone involved.
But then, a few months later in 2021, fans were surprised when reports surfaced that he was actually considering a professional soccer career. Even crazier? He apparently even discussed the idea with Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
Khabib has never hidden his love for soccer—his social media is full of clips of him kicking the ball around with friends. But his skills must be legit because Russian club FC Kamaz even offered him a contract to play for them.
In an interview with Matchtv that same year, he clarified that playing soccer professionally was always a childhood dream. “Of course, I want to. Football is the king of sports,” he said.
And he wasn’t just daydreaming. He talked about it with big names in the sport, including UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin and the PSG owner.
It’s been a few years since, and of course, Khabib is not pursuing a second career as a professional athlete, but he does make the occasional trip to Santiago Bernabeu, Old Trafford, and even Anfield.
