Former UFC Lightweight Champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, hasn’t fought in the octagon since October 2020, but he’s still making headlines. Khabib purchased Russian MMA promotion, Gorilla Fighting Championship, and has rebranded the promotion as ‘Eagle Fighting Championship.’
Khabib spoke out against the UFC’s ring girls and doesn’t see the need in having ring girls parade around the octagon in between rounds. “Look, I don’t want to offend anyone. Ring girls are the most useless people in martial arts. What is their function?”
“I sit with my father (at a fight). Every person has his own preferences – the culture and values. I come to fight night. Sit with my father. These people (ring girls) are passing by and showing people that it’s the second round. But no one looks at the plate (round number). I feel uncomfortable with my father. I am not against it. If you want, you can do it, but don’t impose it to me. Do it aside. There are designated places for it. I think we must not mix all of it. This is my private opinion.”
At the Eagle Fighting Championship press conference, Khabib acknowledged the difference in cultures and customs and how it makes him feel uncomfortable given his background. Khabib is a devout Muslim that grew up in the remote mountains of Dagestan, so it is not entirely shocking that he disagrees with the Western tradition of ring girls.
Fellow AKA teammate and UFC fighter, Cynthia Calvillo, has previously explained that Khabib and his Dagestani teammates refuse to train with any women at the academy. “It’s a little bit weird because of their religion and stuff…They don’t talk to women you know. I mean we say ‘hi’ to each other but we can’t train with them. They won’t train with women.”
Khabib has also been on record explaining his disapproval of women MMA fighters. When the Western world collides with old school traditional religious customs, it makes for quite the controversy. Reminder to Khabib – we’re in the year 2021 NOT ancient times. Cultural progress is a beautiful thing. Come down off your moral high horse. You punch dudes in the face for a living.
