02 January 2023 , 15:16
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Khabib Nurmagomedov has been praised by fans for consoling Koji Takeda after he lost his fight on New Year's Eve.
Takeda was competing against Russian fighter Gadzhi Rabadanov at Bellator and RIZIN's cross-promotional event last weekend, which took place at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. Takeda lost a one-sided decision to Rabadanov in the opening fight of the card and Nurmagomedov showed his class by getting in the ring to show support for the Japanese fighter after his defeat.
UFC legend Nurmagomedov could be seen patting the back of an emotional Takeda and shaking his hand, before lifting his arm in the air. Fans have since weighed on the clip with one writing: "That's why he's different from other people". A second user added: "Moral support is much more important than the victory itself. Khabib you are the best."
A third user credited the parents of Nurmagomedov for raising him well as they wrote: "Thanks to his parents for such an upbringing! Khabib is the best" with a final user commenting: "That's why Khabib will remain the best fighter and just as a man of the highest level."
The former UFC lightweight champion retired from fighting in March 2021 and has since launched his own MMA promotion, Eagle FC. Nurmagomedov has already started to pass on his fighting skills to the next generation by coaching his five-year-old son in wrestling, with the Russian also coaching fighters at his American Kickboxing Academy Gym in California.
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Nurmagomedov, who only retired after his father passed away due to Covid-19 complications, has previously stated that he wouldn't want his children to follow in his footsteps as a UFC star. Nurmagomedov said many of the battles he experienced during the height of his UFC fame went under the radar, such as when he almost "died" during a hard weight cut in 2017.
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Whilst sitting ringside at the fights for Bellator x RIZIN, fans pointed out that Nurmagomedov has piled on the pounds since retiring from fighting. Some estimated that he weighs around 220lb, which would classify him as a heavyweight if he was still an active fighter. One commenter even proposed a rematch with Conor McGregor, who has also piled on weight, as they wrote: "He weighs the same as Conor. Khabib vs Conor at heavyweight."
In the highest-profile fight of his career, Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor in the fourth round at UFC 229 in October 2018 to defend his lightweight title. The event will forever be overshadowed by a post-fight brawl that saw Nurmagomedov and McGregor fined and banned for their actions.