Khabib Nurmagomedov has jokingly told Hasbulla not to "judge people" after the social media star accused UFC legend of cheating in a football match.
Nurmagomedov has retired from competitive UFC action but is currently part of protege Islam Makhachev's training camp as he prepares to do battle with Charles Oliveira on the UFC 280 bill at the Etihad Arena on Saturday. The Russian rising star is following in the footsteps of the UFC legend and Nurmagomedov will be in his corner for the fight this weekend.
Hasbulla will also be in Makhachev's corner. The 20-year-old has a form of dwarfism but has formed close friendship with Nurmagomedov while he also attended Makhachev's win against Dan Hooker last year.
This time the pair have swapped the octagon for the football pitch and laced up their boots to take on a challenge as part of team Makhachev's training camp. After the match had taken place, Hasbulla confronted the former UFC champion with the pair briefly sizing each other up.
He then having been disappointed with the events that unfolded on the pitch asked Nurmagomedov: "You paid the referee? How much you pay him?" Nurmagomedov quickly hit back: "Don't judge people by yourself. If you walk in with Rolexes and buy people, we are not like that."
Nurmagomedov appeared to suggest he does not like living an extravagant lifestyle which is adopted by many fighting superstars including bitter rival Conor McGregor. Hasbulla has become an integral part of the Russian's team and his personality has seen him rise to fame alongside Nurmagomedov.
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He became known for his rivalry with fellow three-feet-tall star Abdu Rozik, with the pair having staged a mock press conference which went viral on social media. Now Hasbulla has signed a contract with the UFC which was initially expected to be based around media work.
However he has since confirmed he will indeed fight in the UFC releasing a statement on social media, which read: "The rumours are true," he said. "I have officially signed a deal to fight in the UFC! Details will be revealed by the end of the year. Thank you to my team for making this dream a reality."
