UFC hero Khabib has received offers from football clubs as he eyes career change

MMA legend Khabib Nurmagomedov is reportedly close to switching the UFC octagon for the football pitch, after receiving offers from “a lot of football clubs.”

Nurmagomedov has been outspoken about his love for the beautiful game, regularly uploading videos of him playing, watching and talking about football on his social media accounts.

And now, it seems this love for football is about to spur Nurmagomedov into an unexpected career change, with several teams reportedly keen for the Eagle to join.

According to MMAFighting, Legion Dynamo and FC Kamaz have offered the former UFC lightweight champion a deal. Both teams play in the third tier of Russian domestic football, with FC Kamaz leading their group and Legion Dynamo currently sat fourth in theirs.

Nurmagomedov discussed his possible change in career direction on Instagram, and said he’d be keen to accept any deal that came his way.

“A lot of football clubs, they have offered me [a deal].

"If some club offered me an interesting offer, I'm going to accept it because it's my childhood dream.

"I love football, I've been following it since I was a child. It's my first love."

What do you think about Khabib's plans to switch the UFC octagon for the football pitch? Let us know in the comments section below.

When asked what his dream club would be, Nurmagomedov was quick to answer.

"To play football on a professional level is a childhood dream. Of course, I have such a wish. Football is the king of sports after all.

“Who haven’t I discussed this with! I’ve spoken even with the Uefa president Aleskandr Ceferin, with the owner of PSG, yes and even with Cristiano Ronaldo.

"My dream club is Real Madrid.

“In fact, the first match I remember watching the full 90 minutes, was Real vs Juventus in 1998 [Champions League final].”

Widely considered one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Nurmagomedov retired following his victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October last year. The fight was contested at a blisteringly high pace, but early in the second round, Nurmagomedov landed a stunning take down and very quickly submitted Gaethje via triangle choke.

Following his victory, the Russian broke down in tears in the centre of the octagon over the recent death of his father and coach, Abdulmanap. Shortly after, Nurmagomedov announced that the fight would be his last in the UFC and that he was retiring was MMA.

Despite UFC president Dana White attempting for months to persuade Nurmagomedov to compete one last time, in March White accepted his decision and Nurmagomedov officially vacated the UFC lightweight title.

While he probably won’t reach the same heights in his football career as he did in MMA, the chance to see Nurmagomedov compete in any sport again will, without doubt, be worth watching.

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