Summary and WADA situation

The end of the year is the traditional time to take stock. The world of mixed martial arts was no exception here. Several publications at once compiled the ratings of the best MMA fighters of the decade, and in each of them the current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was in the top positions.

The famous portal MMA Fighting placed the Russian on the second line. The first place went to the holder of the welterweight belt John Jones, the third - to the former UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier.

Nurmagomedov and Jones are among the top three on a similar list prepared by ESPN. The third best MMA fighter of the decade was former flyweight champion Demetrius Johnson. However, in this case, the publication did not specify in what order the athletes were located.

In 2019, Nurmagomedov remains one of the most popular athletes in Russia. In the ranking of the company “Medialogy”, based on the number of references to a public person in the media, he took fourth place, losing only to football players Artyom Dziube, Alexander Kokorin and Pavel Mamaev.

The head of the Russian branch of the UFC Andrei Gromkovsky noted that the popularity of the champion of the promotion is easily explainable. According to him, at the moment the fans are interested not only in achievements in the professional field, but also in the life path of the athletes, as well as his position regarding certain pressing issues.

“Mixed martial arts in Russia very quickly became popular. In a short time, we had a sufficient number of fighters who are going up to the championship title. And there is Habib, who is already a champion. He is one of the greatest fighters in the UFC. He has an interesting human history, ”Sport24 quotes Gromkovsky.

Nurmagomedov is really not afraid to say what he thinks. So, he did not ignore the removal of Russia from participation in major international competitions, which followed the deprivation of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) compliance status. According to him, in this situation it is worth blaming sports officials.

“Some people want the Russians to abandon the Olympics, - I think this is absurd. From the age of five they go in for sports in order to reach the level of the Games at the age of 25-30, to become the Olympic champion. And here is some kind of WADA interference - at the political level, what happened to them affects the whole life of athletes, ”the fighter said in an interview with Sports.kz.

Future plans and trip to Kazakhstan

Currently, Nurmagomedov continues to prepare for the fight with the American Tony Ferguson, which will be held on April 19, 2020 as part of the UFC 249. This is what he intends to devote to the next four months. At the same time, the Russian is already thinking about the next match and does not exclude the possibility that American Justin Gatgy could become his rival.

“He has spectacular, interesting fights. It is good when the athlete is confident in himself, he has a plan for the fight. Of course I’m considering. I think he is a good fighter, ”said the athlete.

Despite the fact that many fans of mixed martial arts expect a repetition of his confrontation with the Irish Conor McGregor, Nurmagomedov himself still excludes this option for continuing his career. According to him, the ex-UFC featherweight and lightweight champion should deserve this revenge.

“I would not say that I have a war with Conor. He strove for the same thing that I strove for. Is he waiting for a rematch? Tell him to win 10 battles in a row. The duel that I am most proud of? The fight in which I had no right to lose. My penultimate fight, ”Vesti.kz quotes the athlete.

Currently, Nurmagomedov is in Kazakhstan, where he takes part in the Gorilla Fighting Championship 23 as an honored guest. The arrival of the eminent athlete caused great excitement among representatives of the media and fans. In turn, the fighter reciprocates them.

“Kazakhstan here in Dagestan and in general throughout the Caucasus stands apart. This is our second homeland. Someone was sent here, someone moved here, and you, Kazakhs, accepted us as your brothers and always supported us. I want you to know that we remember everything, we know, and we will remember. Thank you so much for that, ”he said.

One of the most touching episodes of the visit was the meeting of Nurmagomedov with 11-year-old Ali Turganbekov, who was born without legs. Despite his disability, the boy tries to live a full life and enjoys sports. He played football with an idol and demonstrated the ability to do push-ups.

After the meeting, the MMA fighter and the young athlete exchanged souvenirs. Nurmagomedov handed Ali a mobile phone, and in response received an autographed ball from football stars Neymar, Edinson Cavani, Kilian Mbappe and Thiago Silva.

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It was nice meeting you @ Brother_ali_amir_happy

Posted by Khabib Nurmagomedov (@khabib_nurmagomedov) Dec 24, 2019 at 9:53 am PST