Khabib Nurmagomedov and Mike Tyson recently chopped it up on the Hotboxin’ podcast along with Henry Cejudo. ‘The Eagle’ shared that only the toughest can survive and grow in the fight game. He highlighted it is not meant for people who are weak, lack mental strength and composure. The undefeated former UFC champion added that patience, hard work, and sacrifice are necessary to become a champion in the sport.

“This game is not for mentally weak people, this game is for very tough guys. This is about sacrifice. If you’re not ready to sacrifice, you have to sit home. This is just my advice for young guys who wanna become great champions,” said Khabib Nurmagomedov.

However, Mike Tyson did not completely agree with Khabib’s thoughts on the inability of “weak” people to grow in the sport. ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’ shared that sports like boxing and mixed martial arts can help “mentally weak” athletes become strong and gain composure.

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“He said this game is not for weak men, but it can make weak men strong,” said ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson.

Khabib Nurmagomedov looks up to Mike Tyson

Boxing icon Mike Tyson first saw Khabib Nurmagomedov live in action in 2013 at UFC 160. ‘The Eagle’ fought Abel Trujillo on the undercard and won by decision. Ever since then, Mike Tyson and the Russian mixed martial artist have developed mutual respect for each other. Tyson even invited him to his Las Vegas mansion in 2017; Khabib later called it a “dream come true“.

In 2017, Mike Tyson sat cage side at UFC 219 when Khabib secured a clean win over Edson Barboza by decision. ‘The Eagle’ pointed out that he was happy to have his “hero” in attendance for his co-main event fight. Later in the press conference, Khabib reiterated he was honored and that he looks up to Mike Tyson.

After defeating Barboza, Khabib Nurmagomedov said that he aims to be as great as Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. At the UFC 219 press conference, the Russian fighter shared he learned from the two boxing legends it is important to be great both inside and outside the cage.

While ‘Iron’ Mike continues to seek new challenging opponents, it seems like Khabib has now officially hung up his gloves. Given that he is still only 32-years old, do you think the 29-0 champion will make a comeback?

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