Latest news with #Nurmagomedov
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Tyson Fury duped by Khabib Nurmagomedov video 'announcing' UFC return
Khabib Nurmagomedov has not fought since 2020, with the UFC legend insisting he will never return to the Octagon despite a recent AI video showing him 'announcing' his comeback Tyson Fury has been duped by an AI video suggesting UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov is coming out of retirement. Nurmagomedov, a former lightweight champion, retired from MMA after defeating Justin Gaethje in 2020. Since then, fans have been clamouring for the 'Eagle' to make a sensational return to the cage. The Russian made a promise to his mother five years ago that he would never fight again following his bout with the American. This vow was made shortly after the death of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Last year, the 36 year old reiterated that there is 'no chance' of him returning to the ring. However, it seems Fury didn't get the memo. The 'Gypsy King' was fooled by an AI video recently circulated on social media, reports All Out Fighting. The video featured the 'Eagle' supposedly discussing a return to the UFC and a potential match against bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, accompanied by the caption: "KHABIB WILL COME BACK TO THE UFC AND FIGHT MERAB!" It was clear, however, that old footage had been used with a voiceover mimicking Nurmagomedov's voice. The creator even labelled the video as 'Silly AI'. Fans were amused when Fury shared the clip on his Instagram story and tagged Nurmagomedov's account. At the height of his career, the 'Eagle' had to lose a significant amount of weight to meet the 155lb lightweight limit. Therefore, losing an additional 20lbs would be nothing short of torture for the 36 year old. Nurmagomedov is now mentoring top fighters in his beloved Dagestan, aiming to mould future champions. It's certain that he won't be making a comeback to the ring. However, the same can't be said for Fury, who last week announced his return to boxing. Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh revealed on X - previously known as Twitter - stating: "The 'Gypsy King' will be back! ! ! I talked with him, and I have his word to have him in Riyadh Season in 2026. We have a rabbit to hunt!". The Morecambe fighter later stated that the third bout between him and long-standing adversary Oleksandr Usyk is set for April 18, 2026 at Wembley Stadium. The 36 year old took to Instagram last Thursday, sharing a fight poster featuring both him and the Ukrainian, with the caption: "April 18, 2026 Wembley Stadium. The trilogy! UK. contact @spencerbrownmrgoldstar for tickets." After officially announcing the trilogy fight on Instagram, fans were quick to voice their opinions. "Woohoo... The fight no one wants to see," one fan commented. Another added: "Don't really see the point in this trilogy. Fury could knock Usyk out first round and Usyk would still have the better record both in and out of the trilogy." A third responded, "Trilogies should only happen if there are questions that need to be answered from the first two fights. All the questions have been answered," while another stated: "Just fight AJ ffs. No one wants to watch you lose again to Usyk." One more added: "What's the point? Fought twice, well beaten twice." Yet another voiced their opinion saying, "The fight nobody asked for," with a different commenter remarking: "No way, we don't need this fight please."
OC Media
04-07-2025
- Business
- OC Media
Former MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov faces new scrutiny for tax delinquency
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Khabib Nurmagomedov, a former undisputed UFC champion and native of Daghestan, is once again under scrutiny from Russia's Federal Tax Service (FTS). According to the Telegram channel SHOT, which is known to be linked to law enforcement officers, the FTS has issued him a new tax bill in the amount of ₽1.8 million ($23,000). The FTS has not yet disclosed the specific reasons for this new debt, nor have Nurmagomedov and his representatives commented on the report. The information published by SHOT has not been confirmed by other sources. In 2024, the FTS froze Nurmagomedov's bank accounts due to outstanding tax payments, penalties, and fines. At that time, the total debt amounted to ₽302 million ($3.8 million). In addition to the account freezes, court bailiffs seized assets belonging to the athlete worth ₽79 million ($1 million). This debt was later paid off, and enforcement proceedings were closed. Financial difficulties have also affected several organisations connected to Nurmagomedov. These include his MMA promotion company Eagle FC, his charitable foundation, and the travel agency Hikmet Travel, which was shut down in 2022 after the FTS found irregularities in its official documentation. In November 2024, reports also emerged about the freezing of accounts of two other organisations associated with Nurmagomedov — the Football Ball Museum and the Foundation for the Development of Education, Sport, and Social Initiatives. There has been no public update on the unfreezing of the museum's accounts, although it continues to operate. The foundation's accounts were reportedly unfrozen in January. Nurmagomedov, 36, ended his professional career in October 2020 after defeating American fighter Justin Gaethje in the second round of UFC 254. He retired undefeated with a record of 29 wins, becoming the first fighter in UFC lightweight history to retire with a perfect record. In April 2018, he won the UFC lightweight title by defeating American Al Iaquinta. Nurmagomedov's most famous fight came later that year when he defeated Irish fighter Conor McGregor — a bout that generated over $200 million in revenue, becoming the most profitable in MMA history. Advertisement Since retiring, Nurmagomedov has focused on business and coaching. In 2021, he was named 'Fighter of the Year' by ESPN's ESPY Awards, and in 2022, he became the first Russian to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
USA Today
25-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ray Longo: Rematch with Merab Dvalishvili 'maybe worse' for Umar Nurmagomedov
Ray Longo is confident that UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili beats Umar Nurmagomedov in even more emphatic fashion if they rematch. Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) handed Nurmagomedov (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) his first-career loss when he defeated him by unanimous decision at UFC 311 in January. However, Dvalishvili lost the first two rounds on two of the three judges' scorecards before rallying to win the fight. Two of Dvalishvili's three title wins came over Sean O'Malley. He dethroned O'Malley to become bantamweight champion in a decision win at UFC 306, but was able to submit him in their rematch at UFC 316. If Nurmagomedov ends up running things back with Dvalishvili, Longo thinks that'll spell bad news for the Dagestani fighter. "The same way the first fight went," Longo told Red Corner MMA on how he sees Dvalishvili vs. Nurmagomedov 2 going. "Maybe worse, just like O'Malley. The O'Malley, first one he didn't finish. The second one – the more comfortable Merab gets, the better he's going to get. He already fought Umar, he's got the confidence now. "You got to remember, even in the Umar fight, he played around a little bit. No playing around would have been a different story. So, he's getting more serious with the fighting, with that part. You didn't see it in the O'Malley fight, no playing around at all. No kissing, no looking away. He was all business so, he's going to do that – I believe he'll do that to Umar, too." Nurmagomedov hasn't competed since losing to Dvalishvili due to surgery for a broken hand suffered in the fight. Cory Sandhagen is currently the frontrunner for Dvalishvili's next title defense.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Archie Colgan confident he brings 'threats' PFL champ Usman Nurmagomedov hasn't faced
PFL's Archie Colgan is potentially on the verge of a lightweight title shot, and is confident in his ability to end the undefeated record of the current champion, Usman Nurmagomedov. The PFL lightweight title picture is somewhat crowded at the moment. The promotion just completed the semifinal round of lightweight bouts at 2025 PFL World Tournament 6, where Gadzhi Rabadanov and Alfie Davis won their bouts to advance to the finals. The winner, in theory, would be considered for a title shot against Nurmagomedov (19-0). However, should Rabadanov (26-4-2) win the final, he will not face his good friend and training partner. Paul Hughes, who lost a majority decision to Nurmagomedov in January, is also angling for a rematch. That's where Colgan (12-0) fits in. At 2025 PFL 6, the undefeated wrestler defeated Mansour Barnaoui by unanimous decision in a lightweight non-tournament bout. The fight wasn't directly billed as a No. 1 contender fight, but Colgan's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told him it would be considered as such when he signed the contract. After turning in a strong performance in the win, Colgan expects his title opportunity to come later this year, maybe in October or November, if the promotion returns to the Middle East. Should that be the direction the PFL goes, Colgan is confident his skillset would be a difficult puzzle for Nurmagomedov to solve. "I think there's attributes that I possess, things that I bring to the table that he has not seen in a fight," Colgan told MMA Junkie. "I'm sure he's seen it in training, you know, he's got some of the best training partners – but in a fight, I think that there's just different things that I bring to the table that nobody else has brought to him. Obviously, offensive wrestling, defensive wrestling, but my inside boxing is there as well. My fight IQ is very good as well. I just think I bring different threats that he hasn't had to face under the lights, under the performance, and I'm excited to get my opportunity to go show that to the world." On paper, the clash of Dagestani wrestling vs. American wrestling would be a key component to the fight. It's something that Colgan would embrace, and is fully aware that would be the narrative surrounding the fight. While confident in his ability to win, Colgan knows Nurmagomedov is such a talented fighter that the champ would have his moments in the fight. "It is a narrative, but it's only a narrative because it's partially true," Colgan said. "Yeah, I do take pride in representing USA wrestling. USA wrestling has built me to this point, done a lot for me in my life, and many other fighters. I would be very proud and happy to carry that torch to go be the one who shows whose wrestling is better. I've come to terms that he's a very good fighter and he'll probably take me down as well. ... I'm going to score takedowns. I know that. I can take anybody down, and I'm very understanding that he's a very high-caliber person, and I'll probably get taken down as well." "... He's his own person, and he hasn't been beaten. So, he carries the same confidence that I carry. You don't know how or what it's gonna be, but you believe that when it comes time to fight, you're gonna find a way to get the win. He believes that and so do I. Neither one of us have seen the loss."
USA Today
17-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Umar Nurmagomedov wants Merab Dvalishvili rematch but 'not holding onto it emotionally'
Umar Nurmagomedov wants Merab Dvalishvili rematch but 'not holding onto it emotionally' Umar Nurmagomedov has his eyes on the UFC bantamweight title – whether or not Merab Dvalishvili is champion. Nurmagomedov (18-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) suffered his first-career loss when he was outlasted by Dvalishvili at UFC 311 in January. He broke his hand early in the fight – an injury that required surgery. "I want the rematch," Nurmagomedov said in an interview with Adam Zubayraev (h/t Red Corner MMA). "I want to prove that my broken hand was a factor, that it could have ended differently. Even if we don't meet again or he retires, I still plan to become champion. If the rematch never happens, it won't be a tragedy for me. I'm not holding onto it emotionally." Nurmagomedov won the first two rounds on two of the three judges' scorecards but ultimately lost a close decision. Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA, 13-2 UFC) has since submitted Sean O'Malley at UFC 316 to notch his second title defense. "I've hit Merab clean myself. He didn't even flinch," Nurmagomedov said. "Tough guy. He's really hard to knock out. He's got cardio for days, and he's just got brute strength. It's not like he's got advanced grappling skills or submissions – he can't even hold people down properly. He just overwhelms."
