Published 15:54 IST, November 30th 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov buys MMA promotion Gorilla Fighting Championship for $1M: Reports
Khabib Nurmagomedov has taken the first step in his post-fighting career by buying Russian mixed martial arts promotion GFC for $1 million.
UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov shocked the world when he announced his retirement from MMA after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. And though many people believe that the undefeated Russian could return for one more bout, Khabib Nurmagomedov is looking to open the next chapter of his life. According to RT Sport, The Eagle has taken the first step in his post-fighting career by buying Russian mixed martial arts promotion Gorilla Fighting Championship (GFC) for a whopping $1 million.
Khabib return: Khabib Nurmagomedov to buy GFC?
According to reports, the Gorilla Fighting Championship operates out of Khabib's native Dagestan. Their last event, GFC 29, took place in October and have two more shows scheduled to take place by the end of this year. However, according to Russian journalist Azamat Bostanov, after buying the promotion, Khabib Nurmagomedov is planning to rename it ‘The Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC)’.
Reports also claim that the UFC pound-for-pound juggernaut is thinking of expanding GFC and is hoping of doing shows all over the world, even in the Arabian countries and possibly in the USA. However, this might cause some disruption in the relationship between Nurmagomedov and Dana White, who recently hailed him as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. UFC is currently ruling the MMA food chain but might get tough competition from GFC if The Eagles takes the charge.
Khabib return: Nurmagomedov to hold a press conference
Earlier, it was revealed that the 31-year-old will be speaking with the media to discuss various "new projects". If the rumours are true, Khabib Nurmagomedov could confirm the news about Gorilla Fighting Championship on December 2. However, some say that he could also talk about his UFC return as he recently teased his return by tagging Dana White in an Instagram post with the caption, “See you soon”.
Various reports claim that during the meeting with Dana White, Khabib could try to strike a deal with the UFC supremo for GFC. For example, having GFC shows streamed worldwide on UFC Fight Pass. This would benefit both the promotions as Khabib has a worldwide following.
Image Source: AP
Updated 15:54 IST, November 30th 2020