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Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed that he has always wanted to become a football player. The UFC lightweight champion attended the Barcelona vs PSG match in the Round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday. He later addressed his love for football in a caption to an Instagram post.
"I've love football since childhood and have always dreamed of becoming a football player. But I was born in Dagestan, and there, you yourself know what is the priority. Who knows, maybe if Ronaldo was born in Dagestan, he would also become the UFC champion," wrote Nurmagomedov.
Khabib Nurmagomedov claimed that he ended up becoming a fighter by chance and hinted at a childhood obsession with football. Expressing his gratitude for being able to attend the Champions League match, Khabib Nurmagomedov further wrote:
"In general, I want to say that football is THE sport. And in my opinion, I became a fighter by accident. Just kidding, not by chance. Someday, I will tell you about my football story as a child and how I, sitting in a lesson, wrote 200 football names on a notebook (then there was no Internet). I was glad to visit this legendary stadium (Camp Nou) and watch such a confrontation live."
Khabib Nurmagomedov has been hinting at a career in football
Khabib Nurmagomedov previously joked that he wants to become a professional footballer - calling himself a 'free agent' that is up for grabs. Back in January, the Dagestani superstar Khabib Nurmagomedov talked about debuting in football through a Twitter post.
'The Eagle' was also seen playing a game with Dutch icon Clarence Seedorf, his late father Abdulmanap's favorite player. Following this, Khabib Nurmagomedov was also offered a professional football contract with FC Kamaz in the Russian Professional Football League (the third tier of Russian football).
Khabib Nurmagomedov recently revealed that he has talked to football greats about a potential career. In a recent interview Khabib Nurmagomedov told Match TV:
"To play football on a professional level is a childhood dream. Of course, I have such a wish. Football is the king of sports after all. Who haven’t I discussed this with? I’ve spoken even with the UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin, with the owner of PSG, yes, and even with Cristiano Ronaldo."
