Speaking at the World Sports Summit in Dubai this week, Khabib Nurmagomedov offered a blunt take on one of combat sports’ most persistent questions, can you genuinely befriend someone you’ve fought inside the cage? His answer was unambiguous. “It’s never gonna be friends. This guy try to smash your face, how you gonna be friends with him?” The comment was made during an interview with Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand.
Why Does Khabib Nurmagomedov Say He Can’t Be Friends With Fighters He’s Faced?
Khabib wasn’t saying fighters need to disrespect opponents or dismiss their achievements.