Khabib Nurmagomedov is an iconic UFC fighter. He achieved his fame due to his dominant wrestling skills and fierce rivalry with Conor McGregor. After the fight with McGregor, his fame increased significantly. It is often said that “fame” is easier to achieve, but harder to cope with. Nurmagomedov spoke about this during his appearance on the Full Send podcast. In a YouTube video that was uploaded on February 3, 2022, “The Eagle” spoke about how impressed he was by Dwayne Johnson and Cristiano Ronaldo for the way they dealt with fame.
Nurmagomedov is a very quiet and reserved person. He prefers to stay away from attention. That’s why he doesn’t do many interviews or attend events.
However, during a rare podcast appearance with the Nelk guys, he opened up about his personality and how he learns from other greats.
How Cristiano Ronaldo and Dwayne Johnson inspired Khabib Nurmagomedov
During an episode of the Full Send podcast, they discussed various topics such as his retirement, his post-fight brawl with McGregor’s team, and his new business Eagle FC. One such interesting topic of discussion was how life changes when you achieve fame and how to deal with it. Habib said:
“I don’t think anyone can handle this. I don’t understand, for example, that Cristiano Ronaldo likes The Rock, like a lot of guys, like, they’re more popular than me, I don’t understand. They are more popular than me, but I don’t understand how they live. This is very difficult for me. You know, I want to be outside the house, with friends. But now I stay at home all the time.(37:50 – 38:43)
The Dagestani recalled that he was a street boy and did not appear at home most of the time. Before he became famous, he walked the streets without attracting unwanted attention.
Nurmagomedov also mentioned how he is inspired by other famous athletes such as Dwayne Johnson And Cristiano Ronaldo, who were much more famous than him.
However, now, because of his fame, he has to stay at home, even if sometimes he wants to be with friends. He even revealed why he decided to retire earlier than many predicted.
How Nurmagomedov felt withdrawn after retiring from his career
“The Eagle” broke the hearts of many fans when he announced his retirement on October 24, 2020, after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Many pundits, pundits, and even Dana White himself thought the decision was premature and convinced him. return.
Despite all the efforts, Nurmagomedov remained true to his decision. He even explained the reason for this in an interview with UFC Russia. In his explanation, “The Eagle” described how he lived the life of an ordinary person, rather than a professional athlete.
According to him, the life of an athlete is somewhat close to a prison sentence, since the athlete has to train, rest and do the same again without slowing down. (H/T: MMA Fighting)
“I live the life of an ordinary person, not a professional athlete. It (the life of an athlete) is like living in one mode, at one pace, without slowing down. Once you slow down, you are no longer a champion. So, I just got out of that prison in a sense.“
The Eagle went on to say that the champion within him is still not making it to the big stage. He explained that there are many times when he craves to compete. However, he does not regret his decision to retire.
While the MMA community continues to debate the former lightweight champion’s decision to retire at a relatively young age, they are praising him for his undefeated MMA record and performances that have earned him great respect and fame.