Retired UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s friendship with Kamaru Usman has been well documented. The pair shared the same manager in Ali Abdelaziz, and often trained together. While the Russian fighter retired in 2021, he still maintains a passion for the sport and trains younger fighters. The 33-year-old recently gave an interview, following Kamaru Usman‘s loss at UFC 278.

Nurmagomedov was asked whether he watched UFC 278, to which he replied, “Well I watched the UFC fights in the morning. Honestly, I was shocked and even a little bit upset you could say… Because with Kamaru I have very good relations and of course, it was tough to witness the best fighter in the world, as he is currently is, get sent with 50 seconds left until the end of the fight into a deep knock out.”

The former UFC Lightweight Champion was asked whether he believed that Usman would win the fight, based on the first few rounds. Nurmagomedov replied, “Yeah, I thought the fight would end primarily like it was going, like all of Kamaru’s fights…But this is fighting, this is MMA, and you saw it yourself. You miss one second and that is it… You can wake up in the dressing room and everything is over.”

The 33-year-old was subsequently asked if he would reach out to Usman regarding the loss. The Russian fighter stated that “With fighters, I always like to reach out after a couple of days, 3 to 4 days. Because everyone is already reaching out to them. There are a lot of emotions. When everything calms down, I will certainly connect with them.”

Nurmagomedov was later asked if he believed that Kamaru Usman would regain his championship. To which he replied, “Well, from what I know they are already working on the trilogy and I believe that Kamaru can beat Leon Edwards… But after that kind of knock out many never recover, it will be interesting to see.”

‘The Eagle’ also mentioned that he would certainly watch the trilogy fight between the two.

“I would, with pleasure, watch a third fight. They are one and one.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s friendship with Kamaru Usman

The friendship between ‘The Eagle’ and the Nigerian star is not a new one to UFC fans. The pair have been friends and training partners for a long time. Both individuals have also expressed the mutual respect that they have for one another.

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Before his retirement from the sport, Nurmagomedov was always seen, supporting the Nigerian during his fights, and often spoke highly of him. The duo were also spotted hanging out together on multiple occasions.

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Nurmagomedov has expressed his opinion on the former Welterweight champion’s loss and mentioned that he would be interested in seeing a trilogy fight with Leon Edwards. What do you think about The Eagle’s statements? Do you think Kamaru Usman will be able to regain his Welterweight title? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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