Russian UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov might not be the most frequent of visitors at ice hockey arenas, but he certainly appreciates the physical aspect of the game, including the fist fighting!
Nurmagomedov is making the most of his time as he remains unable to compete in the UFC due to the ongoing investigation into his post-fight melee by Nevada's State Athletic Commission. Last weekend, the Dagestani MMA king visited an outdoor ice hockey game staged at St. Petersburg's Gazprom Arena, which attracted as many as 67,770 fans, setting a KHL record.
Khabib was an honorary guest at the 'Army Derby' between local team SKA and Moscow's CSKA, and even took part in the ceremonial faceoff before the game.
On Tuesday the lightweight champ posted a video which was shot from the stands during the moment which appeared to excite him the most.
The footage shows two players dropping the gloves and going all in at each other.
"Well now it's us watching a hockey game," says the MMA champ.
"I think it's your effect!" says the person filming.
"What would be your tips for them?" he then asks the MMA star as the hockey players slug it out.
"Mainly I hope they won't take it to the stands," jokes Khabib, referring to his notorious leap over the octagon at UFC 229.
"Hockey is a very interesting, hard and competitive sport, although fans got on their feet when two players drop their gloves and started a one on one fight," The Eagle wrote in Russian on his Instagram.
"So you know what is trending right now? All in all it was hot on the ice in Petersburg," he concluded.
On Saturday just before the game Khabib posted a selfie showing him wrapped up in a scarf featuring ice hockey sticks, while also wearing a traditional Russian "ushanka" hat.
"Shortly about my Petersburg stroll last night. I must admit, my plan has worked," said the caption to the photo. Given the level of his popularity, it's no surprise that the UFC star had to disguise himself to walk around the city.
"Turns out the city is simply out of this world," he added, clearly in awe of Russia's renowned northern gem.