Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov signs a professional FOOTBALL contract with Russian third division side as he changes sport ten months after retiring from fighting
- Khabib Nurmagomedov has taken up football since retiring from the UFC game
- He’s now taken the hobby professional, signing for Russian club Legion Dynamo
- The Russian admires Cristiano Ronaldo and has boasted his football knowledge
Khabib Nurmagomedov was crushing Justin Gaethje for 29–0 in the UFC 10 months ago, now he’s set for the football pitch after signing with a Russian third-tier club.
The former lightweight champion retired after his final mauling victory against the American, dominating the fight in the wake of his father’s passing. The Dagestani’s decision to bow-out aged just 32 was down to a promise made to his mother.
Since then he has continued to train and taken up football, talking of his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and posting videos of training sessions.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has taken his footballing hobby to the professional ranks in Russia
Russian third-tier side Legion Dynamo announced the deal online with a contract on the table
The MMA icon is now targeting football professionally, having signed a professional contract with FC Legion Dynamo, who play in the third division of Russian football.
The club, who finished fourth in their league last season, announced the signing on online by posting a shot of Khabib shaking the hand of a Dynamo official over a contract.
‘A great battle awaits our Legion, for which we need great warriors,’ the club said in a statement. ‘We are preparing to receive the RPL team together with Khabib Nurmagomedov.’
The president of Legion Dynamo added: ‘I already see Khabib as a sharp striker. He can enter the amount into the contract himself.
Khabib was only beating Justin Gaethje back in October 2020, when he retired from MMA
‘Khabib pleasantly surprised with his understanding of football and its development’
Nurmagomedov left the octagon at the top of his game, having crushed his fierce rival Conor McGregor to rack up four title defences.
Now he’s turning his dedication and winning mentality to the pitch, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see him make vast improvements.
Back in January Khabib tweeted: ‘Preparing for my football debut. I’m free agent, and ready to accept offers.’
In a Facebook Q&A the former fighter said: ‘A lot of football clubs, they offer me. But I have to, a little bit, become football shape. Because football shape is a little bit different than MMA.
‘Football for me is like baseball. I watched this all the time when I was growing up, like I remember watching the old Ronaldo, the Brazilian one before Cristiano.’