Since retiring from the UFC in 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov appears to be dedicating himself to giving back to the people of Dagestan. His own promotion, Eagle Fighting Championship, will act as a stepping stone for Russian MMA fighters, offering them a route to the UFC should they perform well.
However, recent reports indicate that Khabib is not only using his organization to further it’s local athletes careers but also to combat drug addiction. In an article posted by Russian sports site Sports Express, Magomedzaid Zaidov, a welterweight for Eagle Fighting Championship, spoke out about how Nurmagomedov personally tries to help the local people break out of their addictions.
Zaidov had the following to say: “Khabib himself is very closely involved in the process of helping drug addicts. He helped a lot of people. [There are] 50 people who he helped to rehabilitate. Khabib took his time, came, paid attention, talked to them. It costs even more than financial aid. And the attention that a person pays is worth a lot. Khabib helped a lot with this – the guys from the area who he grew up with” (Translated & Transcribed by RT Sports).
Zaidov himself is a former addict, who is now also running a rehabilitation centre as part of the Eagle Fighting Championship team. He has a fight booked for Febuary 9th, against Ibrahim Gaidorov, in what will be his debut for Eagle FC.
Do you like seeing UFC champions such as Khabib Nurmagomedov giving back to their community?