Khabib confronts COVID-19 deniers: ‘In my village, 500 people fell ill at once’

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The UFC lightweight champion has limited patience to deal with coronavirus deniers. 

With his father on life support in a Moscow hospital following a coronavirus diagnosis, Khabib Nurmagomedov does not have the patience to deal with COVID-19 deniers.

The UFC lightweight champion, who himself is trapped in Russia, has been responding to people on social media who claim that the coronavirus is little more than a hoax.

“In my village more than 500 people fell ill with pneumonia at once. 11 died and dozens more people were in the hospital from my village. In a neighbouring village, 14 people died during the night and there wasn’t enough time to bury them.

“Sorry I’m not as smart as you.”

Nurmagomedov’s latest comments come shortly after the lightweight champion took to Instagram Live to confirm his father’s dire situation. “He’s in the hospital now, he’s in a very serious condition. He had heart complications stemming from the virus. This virus has very seriously affected his heart, since he had a heart operation a year ago,” Khabib said (h/t RT Sports). “He’s had surgery again. He’s in a difficult situation, very difficult. We ask Allah to return him to us. Thank you very much to everyone who writes, who sends their support. May Allah help us all.”

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, 57, was transported from his native Dagestan to a military hospital in Moscow several weeks ago after falling ill with pneumonia and flu-like symptoms, which was later confirmed to be COVID-19. As his condition worsened, the renowned coach suffered a stroke and underwent surgery before being placed in a medically induced coma. And despite waking from the coma a week later, he was reportedly unable to speak and remained in critical condition.

Then on Tuesday, Russian media reported that Abdulmanap had been placed on life support after his condition worsened significantly. He remains unconscious and is unable to breathe without medical support.

Russia has over 300,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 2813 death. However, Dagestan has also emerged as the nation’s coronavirus hotspot after the republic’s ministry of health revealed figures that far surpassed Moscow’s estimates, claiming that the total number of people infected with coronavirus and community-acquired pneumonia in Dagestan exceeded 13,000, with 657 dead.