Khabib Nurmagomedov invites Mark Zuckerberg to train in Dagestan after Zuck quotes 'The Eagle'

khabib-zuck
Khabib Nurmagomedov (left) and Mark Zuckerberg (right) [Image Courtesy: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC and Mark Zuckerberg/Facebook]

Khabib Nurmagomedov is responsible for making Dagestan one of the most talent-rich pools that MMA promotions dip their fingers into in search of new prospects and potential champions. Nurmagomedov's combination of wrestling and grappling catapulted him to an undefeated 29-0 record and superstardom.

Thus, it is no surprise that Mark Zuckerberg, an avid MMA fan who has taken part in various amateur Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments, is a fan. He recently quoted the Dagestani's now famous 'Send Me Location' line, when he accepted Elon Musk's challenge to an MMA bout. This drew Khabib Nurmagomedov's attention.

On Instagram, UFC president Dana White tagged Khabib Nurmagomedov in his story after reposting Mark Zuckerberg's response to the SpaceX CEO. 'The Eagle' responded by reposting Dana White's story on his own Instagram story, inviting Mark Zuckerberg to head to Dagestan, presumably to train with him.

Khabib Nurmagomedov's training invitation
Khabib Nurmagomedov's training invitation

While the entire interaction will likely lead to nothing, a pairing between Nurmagomedov and Zuckerberg would do wonders for the Meta CEO given the Dagestani phenom's impressive track record as a coach. He was in Islam Makahchev's corner when he dethroned Charles Oliveira for lightweight gold.

Additionally, the training and coaching he provided to welterweight contender Belal Muhammad led to the latter's first stoppage win since 2019.


Why wasn't Khabib Nurmagomedov in Islam Makhachev's corner at UFC 284?

Prior to UFC 284, Nurmagomedov was making waves as an MMA coach. The wealth of wisdom he shared with his pupils paid dividends as 'The Eagle' sparked immediate improvements in nearly everyone he trained. However, just as with his retirement from fighting, he abruptly stepped away from coaching.

This was notable as his decision came ahead of his training partner and protege Islam Makhachev's first title defense against Alexander Volkanovski. The Australian great was in pursuit of the lightweight title and presented the stiffest challenge of Makhachev's career.

So, to many observers, Nurmagomedov's decision to relieve himself of his coaching duties at such a suboptimal time seemed odd. However, his reasoning was that his coaching required him to travel around the world too frequently, thus taking precious time away from his family.

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