Khabib Nurmagomedov Explains Why He Took a Nickname Despite Never Wanting One
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently shared with fans the reason why he was forced to pick a nickname after signing with the UFC in 2011.
Most Russian fighters do not have official nicknames, including welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, Umar Nurmagomedov, and Magomed Ankalaev, among others. However, Khabib was nicknamed ‘The Eagle,’ and he recently shared the reason behind the same.
In an interview with World Sports Summit, the 37-year-old revealed that he never wanted an alias, but the promotion insisted on giving him one because the UFC believed that “Khabib Nurmagomedov” was difficult to pronounce and felt he should have a nickname instead.
Khabib then chose to be nicknamed ‘The Eagle’ because it’s a symbol of Dagestan.
“When the UFC signed me in 2012, they told me, ‘My friend, your name is very hard to pronounce. You need a nickname.’ I was like, ‘What? I have my name, why do I need a nickname?’ I asked my manager, ‘What does nickname mean?’ He said, ‘Your name is very hard for them to say.’ I took Eagle because it’s a symbol of Dagestan, but after six years, everybody knows my name.”
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov discusses why he can never be friends with any of his former opponents
During the same sit-down mentioned above, Khabib Nurmagomedov discussed why he can never be friends with any of his former opponents.
The 37-year-old is not the kind of fighter who hangs out or trains alongside his former opponents, as he doesn’t believe in being friends with someone he has already fought.
“No, we have to be nice, but we are never going to be friends. This guy tried to smash your face. How are you going to be friends with him? It’s different.”
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comments below:
