UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov says he might not be Dagestan's most famous export for long after revealing that diminutive blogger Hasbulla Magomedov has a lengthy list of suitors seeking his signature.
Magomedov, known to many simply as Hasbulla or Hasbik, has captured the attention of a generation of fight fans after debuting online in a now infamous clip with pint-sized foe Abdu Rozik – but if you thought that his 15 minutes of fame were due to expire soon, think again.
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Hasbulla – who is 19 years of age – has graduated from social media curiosity to a fully fledged phenomenon in recent months.
He attended October's UFC 267 event in Abu Dhabi by invitation of Dana White himself, and was even proudly hoisted into the air by fellow Dagestani icon Islam Makhachev following the latter's impressive first-round finish of Kiwi brawler Dan Hooker.
He boasts a keen friendship with Khabib, but although the internet has been awash with recent speculation that Hasbulla might follow in The Eagle's footsteps by settling his feud with Abdu Rozik inside the UFC Octagon – rumors which have been positively stoked by Dana White – Khabib revealed he is against his pal throwing leather inside of a cage.
“Honestly, I don’t want to make this fight (with Abdu Rozik). I don’t support this idea. I don’t think this is a good idea," Khabib told Red Corner MMA.
"They’re both big names, they can create some good things if they become friends. If I had a choice, I’m going to make them friends.
“Maybe do some good charity things [together], they can become ambassadors for charity funds… but I don’t want to see this fight. We have enough fighting around the world. Peace is better than war.”
Khabib did testify to Hasbulla's phenomenal popularity, telling Red Corner MMA that the social media star should move Stateside to make millions – if not more.
“He has to go the US, all the big sports stars know him there, he’s very popular," said Khabib of his pal.
"He has to move for a couple of years to the US and become maybe a billionaire. Minimum he can become a millionaire."
And according to Khabib at a separate Moscow press on Wednesday, there has even been concrete interest from an entirely different type of arena: the WWE.
"The WWE, wrestling, also wants him to come to them somehow," said the former UFC champion, according to Championat.
"They want to pay him some big money to get him into the ring. He’s immensely popular abroad."
So be it in a WWE ring, or maybe even the silver screen, it certainly doesn't seem like we have seen the last of Hasbulla – and if Hollywood gets their way, we might be seeing a whole lot more before all is said and done.