UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov received a message of congratulations from Russian president Vladimir Putin when they met on Thursday.
Nurmagomedov and his father sat down with Putin and Vladimir Vasilyev, the head of the Republic of Dagestan, after he landed in Russia following his third-round submission victory over Dustin Poirier.
Nurmagomedov is one of the most popular and recognized athletes in Russia, especially in his home in Dagestan where he lives and trains outside of his fight camps in the United States.
“I want to congratulate you. It was a decent fight against a strong and tenacious rival,” Putin told Nurmagomedov (translation via RT Sport).