KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV was gifted $20million in property by Vladimir Putin after beating Conor McGregor in 2018, claims Dana White.
The Dagestan grappler, 35, submitted McGregor in the fourth round to end the pair’s bitter feud.
ReutersKhabib Nurmagomedov met Vladimir Putin alongside his father Abdulmanap in 2018[/caption]
GettyThe former UFC lightweight champion was reportedly handsomely rewarded for his win[/caption]
GettyNurmagomedov had just beaten his bitter rival Conor McGregor at UFC 229[/caption]
Following his victory, Nurmagomedov met Russian president Putin, 71, alongside his father Abdulmanap.
Appearing on Games With Names podcast this week, UFC president White lifted the lid on the former lightweight champion’s meeting with Putin.
White, 54, said: “He didn’t even make it back to his dressing room after the fight, and Putin was on the phone.
“Putin gave him and his father like $20m (£15.8m) worth of property in Russia.
“Then [Nurmagomedov] went into the Muslim territories, where these guys are [all about] cars, money, gyms – whatever he wanted.”
Nurmagomedov’s victory over McGregor at UFC 229 headlined the biggest-selling pay-per-view in the history of the promotion.
It also cemented his star power, and he went on to retain his belt against Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in September 2019.
In July 2020, Nurmagomedov’s father Abdulmanap died aged 57 from complications due to coronavirus.
Nurmagomedov fought once more in the UFC, beating Justin Gaethje that October before retiring in the octagon with a flawless 29-0 record.
Following his retirement he worked as a coach, helping his friend Islam Makhachev earn the UFC lightweight belt that had previously been his.
But in January 2023 he retired from MMA entirely.
Lifting the lid on Nurmagomdeov’s decision, American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez told Yahoo at the time: “He just doesn’t want to miss being a father.
“He talked to me about three weeks ago and told me of his plan and said he planned to talk to the team and inform them of his decision.
“He’s doing this for the right reasons. He’s a family man and he simply wants to spend more time with his family.”
Nurmagomedov, 35. last fought in October 2020Getty
The Eagle cornered Islam Makhachev before retiring from MMA altogether in January last yearGetty