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Following Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement from MMA, he has since hinted at a potential switch to professional football. However, there aren't too many transferable skills from MMA to football.
Thus it begs the question, how good is Khabib Nurmagomedov at football and could he make it as a professional? Thankfully, Timur Valiev, a Dagestani UFC bantamweight who occasionally trains with Nurmagomedov, has the answer.
Timur Valiev on whether Khabib Nurmagomedov could turn pro in football
Speaking with Sportskeeda MMA's Andy Whitelaw, Timur Valiev revealed that he and Nurmagomedov have had a few kickabouts with each other.
Valiev's verdict is that whilst Khabib can play well with other non-pro's like himself, he wouldn't stand a chance if he took it to one of Europe's major football leagues. Valiev stated the following-
"We play a couple of times with each other. He's ok. Not very good. We have good matches all the time. He is good, well, he is ok. But not on a professional level. On a professional level he is not gonna be looking good."
Regardless of Khabib Nurmagomedov's footballing ability, his knowledge of the sport is clearly unmatched, as he proved when UFC flyweight Manel Kape attempted to challenge him.
The full video of Khabib Nurmagomedov's encyclopedic football knowledge can be seen below:
Timur Valiev's own footballing history
Whilst it's Khabib Nurmagomedov who currently holds footballing aspirations, Timur Valiev was once the same.
During his youth, Valiev attempted to become a professional footballer, although he was unfortunately unsuccessful, leading him to MMA instead. Valiev told Sportskeeda-
"I am a big fan of football" said Valiev. "I played when I was a kid. From ten years to fifteen years old I play. I tried to go to a professional but I wasn't good enough. I was in the main team of my republic but I was on the bench most of the time. So I tried to compete in MMA and I was successful, you know, from two weeks training."
Valiev is now content with his MMA career, but he's still a fan of football and has recently been watching the Euros play out.
"After this I just follow soccer. Just play like for my happy, to have fun. But yeah I watch it all the time. Now is European championship. A lot of good games I'm watching everyday. It's not full game but now I'm watching a replay, the highlights."
Catch our full exclusive interview with Timur Valiev ahead of UFC Vegas 30 below:
