When Khabib Nurmagomedov met his “hero” Mike Tyson before defeating Edson Barboza

Boxing legend Mike Tyson has shown his affection towards Khabib Nurmagomedov multiple times, praising him for his undefeated record which currently reads 28-0. The boxing icon first saw The Eagle in action when he was a guest at UFC 160 where Khabib Nurmagomedov scored a unanimous decision win over Abel Trujillo. Since then, the relationship between the two has continued to grow outside the cage as the 54-year-old ended up inviting Khabib to his Las Vegas mansion four years later.

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That same year, the undefeated lightweight champion demolished Edson Barboza at UFC 219 and talked about his interaction with Mike Tyson at the post-fight conference. When asked about the former boxing champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov said he was happy to see his “hero” cheering him on at the UFC 219 co-main event. He added that he wants to be as great as Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali as being a champion is not everything. "You have to be the greatest outside too.”

“I am a big fan of Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. And I want to be the greatest like these guys. Not only inside the cage but also outside,” added Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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When Khabib Nurmagomedov visited Mike Tyson’s Vegas mansion

When asked about his visit to Mike Tyson’s house, Khabib Nurmagomedov didn’t say much but claimed that the boxing legend invited him and his team to his house. Khabib Nurmagomedov met Mike Tyson with his manager Ali Abdelaziz and the boxing legend even signed Khabib’s gloves. Later in the conference, Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed that he saw his first Mike Tyson fight in 2003 when Tyson fought and beat Clifford Etienne.

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What’s next for Khabib Nurmagomedov and Mike Tyson?

Khabib Nurmagomedov is set to defend his title against interim champion Justin Gaethje – who’s expected to give The Eagle his toughest challenge yet. Khabib Nurmagomedov is currently the betting favourite going into the bout which is scheduled to take place on October 24 at UFC 254. Mike Tyson, on the other hand, is preparing to make his boxing return in November 2020 and is set to fight Roy Jones Jr in an eight-round exhibition bout.

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Image Source: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Mike Tyson Facebook