Chael Sonnen lavishes praise on Khabib Nurmagomedov as UFC icon rejects handshake from CBS host

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is known to be one of the most disciplined men in all of sports. Most observers credit this to Nurmagomedov's strong religious faith, being the first Muslim UFC champion in history.

This remarkable discipline was seen on display when Khabib Nurmagomedov appeared on the CBS' broadcast booth, covering this year's UEFA Champions League.

A big fan of football team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), the former UFC champ was excited to shake hands with men in the booth after his favorite team won.

'The Eagle', however, respectfully declined Kate Scott's handshake, the only woman in the group. A devout Sunni Muslim, Nurmagomedov believes that it's forbidden for him to touch a member of the opposite sex, unless he's married to her or they're related by blood. Scott quickly withdrew her hand and apologized for it.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

Here's the video of the exchange:

Expand Tweet

UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen praised Nurmagomedov for sticking to his customs, replying to the tweet with:

"Some guys come as advertised. Honorable."

Expand Tweet

Khabib Nurmagomedov jokingly issues warning to iShowSpeed during UCL broadcast: "Now you in my world"

During the UCL broadcast on CBS, Khabib Nurmagomedov and famous social media personality iShowSpeed had a friendly banter over who would beat who in a football contest.

iShowSpeed, real name Darren Jason Watkins Jr, is known for his over-the-top antic and energetic behavior. In 2022, he got worldwide recognition for his football-related streams and content, mostly focusing on football legend Cristiano Ronaldo.

On the topic of who is better at football, Nurmagomedov said:

"I'm gonna be humble. I think [IShowSpeed] is better than me [in] running, but football IQ? I'm much better."

iShowSpeed then said that he's seen footage of the former champion play football, and said "it's not the best". 'The Eagle' then put his arm around the streamer's shoulder and hilariously said:

"Don't forget between us, is nobody right now. Now you in my world, understand? But you can talk, freedom [of] speech."

Watch the exchange here:

Expand Tweet

About the author

Duane is an expert MMA writer at Sportskeeda with over 10 years of experience working for the likes of Philippine Star, Esquire Philippines, Playboy Philippines, etc. A major in English, he has written over 2000 articles for Sportskeeda section, extensively covering UFC and boxing fights.

Duane is a practicing MMA fighter with a 11-7 record. He is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu purple belt and trains Muay Thai. His connection with MMA dates back to 2005, when he turned into a fan after watching Fedor Emelianenko defeat Mirko ‘Cro Cop’ Filipovic at Pride FC - Final Conflict 2005.

Emelianenko finds himself right at the top of Duane’s Mt. Rushmore of MMA fighters, alongside other big names like Demetrious Johnson, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva.

Duane’s love for the sport is reflected in his writings, where he believes in speculating but not insinuating. He uses his intensive knowledge and skills in MMA to provide unique insights to the readers, along with sourcing information only from reliable sources.

Outside of work, Duane enjoys martial arts training, visual arts, film criticism, video games, and creative writing.

Know More

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

Edited by Tejas Rathi