An old throwback video recently surfaced on Twitter, reminding fans of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s early days when he dominated the mats at the 2012 NAGA Championships. In the clip, a young and playful Khabib can be seen after winning the final match, proudly holding his championship belt. With his trademark cheeky grin, he jokes about charging “ 50 rubles ” for people to take pictures with him and the belt.
It’s a lighthearted moment that shows a glimpse of the Dagestani star’s personality long before he became the undefeated UFC champion we know today. However, in the final of the 2012 NAGA Championships, Nurmagomedov faces a black belt and secures a win on time in the end. A fresh faced Khabib then comes over to the person filming the video who is unidentified, the person filming the video asks Khabib about his belt to which the Dagestani fighter says, ‘The Eagle’ was dominating in the grappling circuits long before he became a world champion in Sambo and ultimately the UFC.
From an early age, the former UFC lightweight champion was forged by his father to be a hard working and respectful martial artist, qualities that he now instils in his pupils. However, it was not always his dream to be a mixed martial artist, ‘the beautiful game’ being his first love. Khabib’s love for soccer Besides dominating opponents in the octagon, Khabib has a huge love for soccer.
His passion for the sport is no secret, and he’s a die-hard fan of Spanish giants Real Madrid. Grow.