UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is crossing over from fighter to promoter after purchasing his own MMA organization.
This week, the undefeated Russian unveiled Eagle Fighting Championships – rebranded after his purchase of Gorilla Fighting Championship – as he seeks to create a developmental league that will hopefully discover a slew of future contenders. While Nurmagomedov previously has dabbled in promotion, he will now serve as the owner and the face of the organization with his name attached to the brand.
After the ink dried on the deal, Nurmagomedov wasted no time reaching out to UFC President Dana White in order to speak to him about a new kind of working relationship between his organization and the biggest MMA promotion on the planet.