Khabib Nurmagomedov would be a 'huge star' within WWE, believes Drew McIntyre

Khabib Nurmagomedov made his name in mixed martial arts as a phenomenal wrestler and now he has been backed to be a potential ‘huge star’ within WWE should he ever consider moving across there.

Nurmagomedov shocked the UFC world when he announced his retirement from the sport after beating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October.

There have been hopes that the lightweight champion would reverse his decision but the Russian ruled out that notion earlier this month.

And professional wrestler Drew McIntyre believes Nurmagomedov should think about joining him in the WWE as he would be a natural – especially with the help of promoter Paul Heyman.

‘He’s so talented that I reckon he could make some noise. And if he can’t make the noise himself, we’ve got Paul Heyman,’ he told TMZ Sports.

‘We’ve got a few talented people that can carry the load when it comes to talking. But yeah, he’s such an amazing performer in the UFC. If he can’t quite figure out that part, we’ll make it work.

That’s what we’re all about. I think the fans would be very excited to see him.

‘I see [Conor] McGregor opposed to him as well, trying to talk some trash to lure him back into the match. McGregor gets it, but Khabib’s so talented. He would figure it out and be a huge star for us, too.’

Nurmagomedov wouldn’t be the first UFC star to crossover between the two sports. Brock Lesnar made his WWE debut in 2002 before joining the UFC in 2007 and then switching back in 2012. He then fought again in the UFC in 2016 but was suspended for a year after testing positive for clomiphene.

UFC president Dana White also offered former WWE wrestler CM Punk, real name Phillip Brooks, a chance within his promotion.

Brooks had limited MMA experience and that told as he lost both of his fights within UFC. The first was a submission to Mickey Gall at UFC 203 in September 2016 and the second was to Mike Jackson by unanimous decision at UFC 225 on June 9, 2018.