A clash between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Israel Adesanya was once a hot topic. Nurmagomedov is a legendary fighter who has achieved several glorious victories in the UFC’s lightweight division. ‘The Eagle’ dominated the entire division and retired from the sport while he was reigning as the lightweight champion. When he was active in fighting, the Dagestani fighter used to cut around 50 pounds to make weight for his fights. After his retirement, he bulked up, and many felt that Nurmagomedov may come back to middleweight. This paved the way for Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, to claim that ‘The Eagle’ would beat Israel Adesanya.

A clash between Nurmagomedov and Adesanya became a hotly discussed topic in 2022, when ‘Stylebender’ reigned as the middleweight champion for the first time. Later, Nurmagomedov himself made it clear that he had no intention of fighting Adesanya. In a video, the UFC Hall of Famer even went on to say some great words about Adesanya. The video has surfaced once again, and fans have showered Nurmagomedov with praise. Let’s find out more about Nurmagomedov’s take on Adesanya and fans’ reactions to it.

In a resurfaced video on Reddit, Khabib Nurmagomedov was asked if he would fight against Adesanya at 185 pounds. As a reply to the question Nurmagomedov said, “I’m not going to fight at 185. I’m not going to fight with him, it’s like, right now, this is his time. Don’t try to take his greatness. How many years as middleweight champion? Three? Four? I think he deserves some respect. Don’t treat him like this, like some lightweight can beat him easily.”

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Further, the former UFC lightweight champion said that they both can grapple in the gym. He added that he used to grapple with heavyweights, light heavyweights, and middleweights in the gym. However, going for a professional fight against a middleweight fighter is not something he would prefer. Later, the Dagestani fighter made it clear that he never said he would defeat Adesanya at 185 pounds. Instead, it was people who assumed so, and Nurmagomedov does not agree with this. When fans came across Nurmagomedov’s humble words about fighting Adesanya, their respect for him increased to a greater level.

Fans react to the response of Khabib Nurmagomedov

After listening to Nurmagomedov’s take on the matter, fans showered him with praise. According to them, Nurmagomedov is a great fighter with humility. They also believed that ‘The Eagle’ possesses a highly respectful character.

• “Literally the best guy we’ve had in the sport”
• “What humble and respectful response cant be mad with that good on ya Khabib”
• “His dominance paired with that humility is what made me such a huge fan.”

One of the fans felt that Nurmagomedov’s response was a “class act” and that attitude is something he naturally owns. Another fan called him a “wholesome fighting machine”.

• “Class act can’t take that away from him”
• “Such a wholesome fighting machine”

While everyone praised Nurmagomedov, one of the fans felt that Adesanya had achieved a lot when his fighting career was considered. Presently, he has become the middleweight champion for the second time after defeating his longtime rival, Alex Pereira.

• “Thats right. izzy is cringe and stuff but his resume speaks for itself.”

One of the fans felt it was Nurmagomedov’s manager and fans that are trying to spread negativity. 

• “Khabib is a good guy. Too bad his fans and manager are such pathetic a**holes.”

From the reactions of the fans, it is clear that they hold the former UFC lightweight champion in high regard. A fan claimed that it is Nurmagomedov’s attitude that makes him a great athlete. Even after having a whopping record of 29 victories and zero defeats, ‘The Eagle’ always chooses to stay humble. Do you think that Nurmagomedov is a great fighter with humility? Let us know in the comments below.

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