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“LeBron James Cries”- After Infamous ‘Dagestani Basketball’, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s New Game Invention Has Fans in Splits

Published 09/23/2023, 2:48 AM EDT

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Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely considered one of the UFC’s greatest fighters with an undefeated record of 29-0. But he has recently revealed that his passion for sports goes beyond the octagon. He’s famously called football “The King of Sports” in previous interviews.

In a turn of events, ‘The Eagle’ surprised fans by sharing a video on his Instagram while playing a peculiar new sport. It seems to blend MMA, basketball, and rugby in a unique way. The video piqued the interest of fans, who found it both entertaining and unusual, leading to humorous reactions!

Khabib Nurmagomedov invents a new sport and fans have a lot to say about it

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The sport, considered ‘Dagestani Basketball,’ was first brought to public attention by Will Harris. He is the founder of the ‘Anatomy of a Fighter’ YouTube channel. Harris traveled to Dagestan several years ago to create a documentary-style vlog about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s life. Thus providing fans with a glimpse of this unconventional sport.

In the Instagram video, Khabib and his teammates can be seen in a gym equipped with mats on the floor and a basketball hoop mounted on one wall. The rules of the game appear to be a mixture of different sports, with unique elements. There’s no requirement to dribble the ball as in traditional basketball. Shot-clock violations and hand-checking fouls are nonexistent. Notably, in this Dagestani sport, grappling opponents to take the ball from them is allowed!

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Fans found the sport’s rules and tactics quite amusing, and their reactions reflected the humorous side of ‘Dagestani Basketball.’ Here’s how some fans reacted:

Some called it ‘mountain basketball’ in reference to the environment of Dagestan.

“Mountain basketball 😎🏀”

Others humorously called out Lebron James, Michael Jordan, and even Michael Phelps!

“MJ drops to second place”

“LeBron James cries when he plays basketball with them 😂”

“You’re like Mike Phelps throwing 😀”

Fans showed their appreciation for Khabib as well

“One and only Khabib ☝️”

Many also dubbed it ‘Russian Basketball’ and spotted an MMA move too!

“Russian basketball 🔥❤️”

“Was that a superman punch at the end? 😂 Nice one!”

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s foray into this peculiar sport certainly caught the attention of fans worldwide. Providing a lighter and more playful side of the legendary fighter, alongside his remarkable accomplishments in the UFC.

‘The Eagle’s legacy in the sport of MMA

Nurmagomedov, one of the most dominant fighters in MMA history, last entered the Octagon as a fighter at UFC 254. He retired undefeated in his professional career, making him a standout athlete of his era.

During his remarkable UFC journey, Nurmagomedov secured victories over renowned fighters such as Conor McGregor, Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier, and Rafael Dos Anjos. His final fight saw him defeating Justin Gaethje with a second-round triangle choke submission.

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via Getty

Nurmagomedov’s legacy also includes three successful title defenses, placing him alongside legends like BJ Penn and Benson Henderson for the most in UFC lightweight division history. His UFC record of 13-0 is on par with that of Anderson Silva, who also embarked on his UFC journey with an unbeaten streak.

Recently, Khabib ventured into promoting fights with the launch of his own organization, Eagle FC. He was also present in the corner of Islam Makhachev when the latter secured the lightweight title by defeating Charles Oliveira.

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Do you think we’ll see Khabib return to the Octagon in the future? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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Written by:

Dushyant Patni

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Dushyant Patni is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. He fell in love with MMA at the tender age of fourteen and his appreciation for the craft has led him to become a practitioner, too. With a master's degree in English and an extensive background as a writer and editor, he uses his technical ability to articulate the nuances of the sport.
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Edited by:

Joyita Das