Khabib Nurmagomedov as a laughing stock? That doesn’t happen very often, right? But the internet is a place that can transform a notably stoic personality like ‘The Eagle’ into chuckling material anytime! That’s one of the sides of the web that obviously has its drawbacks, but sometimes it’s also entertaining. And this was one of those moments. When former UFC middleweight Derek Brunson uploaded a snap with the Hall of Famer, the fans shared their unhinged reactions. Let’s find out what happened!

Brunson has always been a fan of the former lightweight champion of the world. He’s got a very wrestling-based style of fighting, so he’d definitely take inspiration from the great Dagestani himself. Most notably, ‘The Blond Beast’ once tweeted after the 29-0 legend indomitably dealt with Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 via rear-naked choke, writing: “Many have tried, none have succeeded. Watching Khabib fights are amazing. The calmness, the control, the ability to break his opponent’s will to compete is outright fascinating.”

The former middleweight contender’s appreciation still remains intact years after the 155lbs kingpin left the sport. ‘The Eagle’ is now busy training fighters who can bear the torch of his legacy forward. However, Brunson recently met Khabib. And the next thing, he took to Instagram and uploaded a photo of himself wearing a UFC T-shirt, standing next to the Dagestani, posing for the fans. The post was hilariously captioned: “The GOAT and Khabib Nurmagomedov.”

Nurmagomedov has been part of MMA meme culture for a while now. The ‘Send me location’ meme template was already going around before he even rose to full prominence and smashed Conor McGregor to pieces. As serious as the Russian is, he doesn’t mind having a healthy laugh here and there. He and Daniel Cormier have bonded over a lot of those wholesome moments. So, here too, the comments don’t seem to be intended to touch a nerve (hopefully), and yeah, they’re pretty funny! Let’s check out what they said.

Fans react to Derek Brunson taking a picture with Khabib Nurmagomedov

“So nice of you to take a pic with a fan.” We’re starting off with a banger! This user painted a solid picture of Derek Brunson giving Khabib Nurmagomedov his fan moment—nothing short of a hilariously oxymoronic take. Another user quoted Islam Makhachev’s famous line to Daniel Cormier, “They sent to Dagestan and forgot.” The user didn’t elaborate, but it’s safe to assume they meant Brunson is ‘fresh out’ of Dagestan now.

Yet another fan quoted another iconic Islam line, “Derek, we need to check his black belt. Who give him?” This was a hilarious dig at Brunson’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills, which are actually pretty decent. Someone else brought another great name into the mix: “I don’t see @jonnybones in that picture.” The GOAT conversation is never complete without mentioning the current heavyweight champ, Jon Jones, who is often touted as the best UFC fighter ever, especially by Dana White.

The internet’s a brutal place and never forgets. So, of course, one user didn’t miss the chance to remind Brunson, “Never forget the time that skinny dude (Izzy) ended yo career.” They were referring to Brunson’s fight with Israel Adesanya at UFC 230, the very grudge match that cemented ‘The Last Stylebender’ as a force at middleweight. The Carolina native called him “skinny” multiple times in the build-up to their fight. But, in the end, Adesanya just destroyed him with precise knee strikes in the first round.

Another user chimed in, “Brunson’s online presence post-UFC is great lol. Would’ve been a bigger star in UFC if you did this while fighting.” That one complimented Brunson’s current media game but also threw a subtle jab at his decision to leave the UFC and join PFL. So, how did you like the reactions? Did they make you chuckle? Let us know by commenting below!