Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov may have stepped away from fighting in 2020, but his presence in the sport remains as strong as ever. ‘The Eagle’ continues to command admiration across the MMA world—not just for his dominance inside the Octagon, but for his humility outside of it. 

Ikram Aliskerov, who has been training with Nurmagomedov for years, previously revealed that the undefeated UFC lightweight legend will be in his corner for his bout against Park Jun-yong. Lo and behold, when the night came, the 37-year-old showed up. At UFC 321, Khabib was in the corner of his fellow countryman, accompanying him to the ring. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov steals the spotlight

Even before the fight began, Nurmagomedov stole the spotlight with a heartwarming gesture for one of his young fans. “Khabib Nurmagomedov is a man of the people,” Red Corner MMA wrote while sharing a clip of Aliskerov’s walkout, with Khabib following closely behind. “During Ikram Aliskerov’s walkout at #UFC321, Khabib noticed a young fan calling for him,” they added.

“So, he made a once-in-a-lifetime gesture, giving the kid his hat right in the middle of the walkout.” Ikram Aliskerov went on to outwork Jun Yong Park in a tactical three-round battle at UFC 321, earning a unanimous decision win. The judges scored the bout 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 all in his favor, as he was announced the victor.

Aliskerov used sharp jabs, body shots, and well-timed takedowns to control the pace, while Park pressed forward with relentless pressure and heavy hooks. In the final round, Aliskerov’s grappling proved decisive as he secured back control and closed the fight in dominant fashion. Despite his victory, all anyone could talk about afterward was Khabib’s touching act.

Nurmagomedov gets praised for his humble nature

The Russian already has a large fan base across the world, so it didn’t take long for fans to praise him. One user praised him for his humble nature. The user wrote, “Humble as always ☝️.” This is the down-to-earth attitude that most people have come to love about Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Another use claimed he wants to be like ‘The Eagle.’ The user commented, “The man I aspire to be.” Khabib clearly has a lot of fans; this user isn’t alone in following in the Dagistani’s footsteps. 

Someone else had even more praise for the Russian. The user claimed, “What a great guy!!! Khabib is one of the nicest guys in the World.” His upbringing and work ethic helped him become the man he is today.

The next user simply celebrated the former UFC lightweight champion. The user said, “👏👏 love Khabibi.” Despite retiring, Khabib Nurmagomedov continues to grow in popularity. 

Meanwhile, a fifth user had similar feelings for the former champion. The user commented, “Khabib is the man🙌.” As Umar Nurmagomedov takes on Mario Bautista, ‘The Eagle’ is bound to make another appearance. 

Having said that, Khabib Nurmagomedov appears to have stolen a bit of thunder from Ikram Aliskerov. But the latter doesn’t appear to mind all that much. What did you think of the sweet gesture?