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Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor and Mike Tyson React to Diego Maradona’s Demise

Published 11/26/2020, 8:41 AM EST

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Argentinian soccer legend, Diego Maradona, lost his life after suffering a heart attack on late Wednesday. The 60-year-old was discharged from a hospital just two weeks before following brain surgery. MMA fighters, commentators, and boxing legends mourned the ‘Hand of God’s demise. They expressed their notions on this dark day for the sport of soccer.

The UFC lightweight king, Khabib Nurmagomedov, took to his official Instagram handle and wrote, “One of the greatest athletes of all time. Because of Maradona millions people love football.”

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The former UFC two-division champion, Conor McGregor, posted a story on his official Instagram about the legend’s death.

 

ESPN’s MMA analyst Ariel Helwani tweeted about Maradona’s disheartening death. He wrote, “Maradona was a hero in my house growing up. My brothers and I wore #10 when we played soccer because of him. We bought tickets for Argentina x Nigeria World Cup ’94 at Foxboro just to see him live. That ended being his last WC match. What a legend. May he rest in peace.

The retired UFC Flyweight contender, Paddy Holohan, wrote, “Seek legacy not riches because everything else is going when the time comes. RIP to one of the greatest with #maradona”.

READ –Derrick Lewis Calls Out Conor McGregor for Next Fight – Says He has Been Trash Talking For Too Long

Diego Maradona and Mike Tyson shared a special bond

Right after the news of his death broke out, the American Boxing legend, Mike Tyson, shared a very delightful image of him carrying Maradona in his arms. He wrote, “The Hand of God, Maradona has left us. In 86 we both won our championships. They use to compare the two of us. He was one of my hero’s and a friend. I respected him so much. He will be greatly missed.” 

This image accrued several eyeballs from combat sports fans and fighters around the globe.

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Back in 2005, Maradona even interviewed Tyson on his show ‘La Noche Del 10’ in Argentina and got an autographed Argentine jersey by the ‘Hand of God.’

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In 1996, Maradona entered the Boxing ring for an exhibition bout against his friend Peter Mathebula. It was a three-round fight, where Maradona the Ballon D’Or winner demonstrated his boxing skills in this light-hearted match.

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The fight ended with a draw and Maradona flaunted his soccer skills post the fight.

Maradona won the FIFA World Cup for Argentina in 1986. En route to the cup, he scored a brilliant solo goal and the infamous ‘Hand of God’ to eliminate England. The latter was voted as ‘Goal of the Century’. It is indeed a tragic loss for the sporting world.

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Written by:

Prathamesh Singh Chauhan

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Prathamesh Singh Chauhan is a Boxing Author at EssentiallySports. He is a graduate from the International Institute of Sports Management who combines his love for sports, particularly combat sports, and his flair for writing and analysis to help him in his day-to-day work. He has prior professional experience with sporting organizations such as Star Sports, Khelo India, and NBA.
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