English Premier League club Manchester United was thrilled to welcome former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
UFC legend Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov was at Old Trafford on Saturday to watch the home team Manchester United take on its Premier League rivals Everton.
Nurmagomedov, who officially retired from the UFC earlier this year with a flawless record of 29-0, admitted that he’s not really a solid Manchester United supporter but a fan of the sport as a whole.
Moreover, the Russian fighter revealed that it was his late father who introduced him to soccer.
“I'll be honest, I’m not a sole Manchester United fan, I’m more of a fan of all football,” Nurmagomedov told Manchester United’s official website.
“When I was growing up, my father would always watch the match,” he continued. “I remember during Euro 1996 there was a match between England and Germany, and England lost on penalties that day. Following that I watched Germany versus Czech Republic and then that led into the World Cups.’’
While at Old Trafford, Nurmagomedov also had the chance to have a little chit-chat with Manchester United stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba.
“Yeah, we spoke a little and we discussed today's match, but [Ronaldo and Pogba] they told me they’re going to be on the bench!,” the unbeaten UFC legend revealed. “With Paul being a World Cup winner and Cristiano a European Championship winner, they have won a lot of titles. Ronaldo, especially, has won a lot of Champions Leagues and it was interesting for me to talk to them and compare things with them.”