Khabib is worth $100 MILLION says father Abdulmanap… which would pit Russian champ against McGregor as UFC’s money king
Khabib Nurmagomedov is not known for the ostentatious displays of wealth of some of his rivals but the Russian UFC champ has nonetheless amassed a colossal fortune from his fighting career, says his father and trainer Abdulmanap.
Khabib’s notorious Irish nemesis Conor McGregor is widely held to be the undisputed financial king of the MMA game, racking up a net worth estimated to be around $120 million.
A large chunk of that fortune came from McGregor’s mega-money payday when he crossed over into boxing to face Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2017, for which he pocketed a reported $85 million.
The Dubliner is also the UFC’s highest-paid fighter of all-time and boasts a huge array of sponsorship deals with the likes of sportswear manufacturers Reebok and Parimatch bookmakers, as well as his own burgeoning business empire through his Proper No. Twelve whiskey brand.
But McGregor has a rival hot on his heels in the financial stakes in the form of Dagestani grappler Khabib, who famously choked him out in the fourth round of their grudge match in Las Vegas in 2018.
That fight smashed UFC pay-per-view records and also propelled Khabib to stardom far beyond MMA circles.
The Russian has not looked back since, either in the octagon or outside of it, defending his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi at UFC 242 in September of last year, which further raised his profile.
He has signed lucrative sponsorship deals with Gorilla energy drinks and, like McGregor, also has a deal with Reebok.
Khabib’s massive appeal in particular extends to the Muslim world, where he has been feted by leaders and the everyman alike on a series of tours and promotional events.
His Instagram following of 19.5 million also makes him the most popular athlete in Russia – although is still some way behind McGregor’s colossal 35.9 million reach.
While the undefeated Khabib is as equally unflashy outside the octagon as he is in it, he nonetheless boasts a fortune that extends into the region of nine figures, according to his father and trainer Abdulmanap.
When asked by Russian entrepreneur Igor Rybakov on his YouTube show what his son’s value would be if estimated by Forbes, Nurmagomedov Sr. initially replied: “I’ll be honest, I don’t know for sure.”
But when prompted if it was $10 million or even $50 million, the renowned trainer replied “not enough,” before answering that $100 million was a more “realistic” estimate of his son’s vast wealth.
Abdulmanap admitted that he leaves the financial side of things to Khabib and his manager Ali Abdelaziz, although the rise to superstardom of his son since he defeated McGregor around 18 months ago has been clear for all to see.
Nurmagomedov Sr. hinted that his team are still interested in boosting that fame and fortune even further with a foray into boxing to face the 50-0 Mayweather – but insisting that the grounds for that bout would have to be 11 rounds of boxing followed by one round of MMA.
Devout Muslim Khabib has previously spoken about his relationship with money, admitting that he “doesn’t think” the Almighty would be happy he fights for financial gain.
“Everybody likes money… this is not everything for me at this point, but of course money is important," he admitted.
“Money can be dangerous too, if it goes inside your mind. But if you have money in your hands, this is good, you can help a lot of people.”
In more immediate terms, Khabib has taken a financial hit as his long-awaited lightweight title showdown with Tony Ferguson planned for April 18 has fallen victim to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Khabib is stuck in lockdown in Russia, and says in any case he has still not been provided with a definite location by UFC boss Dana White as to where the fight could happen.
The Russian 155lbs champ said he would lose out financially as a result, although would be willing to thrown down with Ferguson as early as August, assuming the coronavirus pandemic has subsided by then.
And based on his father’s estimates, the 28-0 Khabib could have another target in his sights as he chases down McGregor’s status as the UFC’s financial king.
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