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Khabib Nurmagomedov is no longer an active fighter, but he continues to be involved in MMA through his Eagle FC promotion. He had an amazing coach in his father for cage fighting, and now considers Dana White as an invaluable teacher when it comes to holding events.
In a new interview posted on his Eagle FC YouTube channel, Nurmagomedov said:
"Dana White is the best of all time promoter, in my opinion. No one is even close. And I just try to learn from him. I'm just beginning. I think I can learn from him a lot of things. Even next ten years, twenty years, he can teach me, I think."
When asked if White was teaching him a lesson by not responding to his demands that Islam Makhachev get a title shot, 'The Eagle' replied:
"I think he plays games. Even on this situation I have to learn from him. Because he told me last time when we talk about promoting, he says 'Now you gonna understand myself more.' I said okay, we'll see."
Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov discuss his relationship with Dana White below:
Khabib Nurmagomedov is having to re-learn a lesson he already took back in 2016 when the UFC wouldn't give him a title shot even after his seven-fight win streak. At the time he summed up the situation by declaring:
"This is number one bulls***."
It would take Khabib Nurmagomedov a year and a half and two more fights before he finally got to fight for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 223. Perhaps the lesson is all about patience.
Dana White addresses Khabib Nurmagomedov's claim that he ignored his text messages
Much has been made of Nurmagomedov's texts to Dana White demanding he book Islam Makhachev in a lightweight title fight. Even more has been made of Dana White not replying to Nurmagomedov. In a recent interview with ESPN, White addressed the situation by saying:
"So what he's saying is I read the message and didn't respond to it? Well, it was nothing personal. I got him and Ali [Abdelaziz, Makhachev's manager] all over me about Islam [Makhachev]. There's no answer, no. I wanted to do that fight with him and Beneil Dariush."
Dana White isn't the kind of promoter who will buckle under the pressure of a few text messages. If anything, all this drama may make him more adamant that Islam Makhachev fight Beneil Dariush next. If Joe Rogan isn't able to sway White's opinion on that, adding Nurmagomedov's opposition isn't likely to tip the scales.
Fans can also check out the video below for other updates in the MMA world:
