UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the most feared men on the planet in his sport - and on the basketball court/basketball mats. The Eagle took to instagram on Wednesday night to share some footage from a recent barefoot pickup game, during which he displayed his Charles Barkley-esque rebounding ability, LeBron-like travelling skills and a fadeaway jumper that would make Michael Jordan sweat.
Khabib (28-0) is currently gearing up for his highly anticipated title defense against Tony Ferguson, which is scheduled to take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on April 18. During a recent interview session in his native Dagestan, Khabib described how he is more motivated than ever for his upcoming fight against Tony.
Says Khabib (H/T @MMARusContext)
"I will train hard. With every fight, I gain more and more experience. I’m getting older, I am 31. I think it’s the peak age of a fighter’s career. Of course, I will train more for this fight because I got a worthy opponent. He is very good and very dangerous opponent."
"And to be honest, I lacked this motivation for my last fights. Iaquinta, Conor, Barboza, Poirier. They’re not the same as Tony Ferguson. That’s why I feel that fire burning inside me again."
Ferguson (26-3) has said that he feels he's already in Khabib's head, and he has some gruesome plans for the undefeated champ when they finally (hopefully) step inside the octagon in April. Click here for more on that.