Arman Tsarukyan got a swift response from Khabib Nurmagomedov after claiming he had his gym built by the Russian government.
Top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan was supposed to face Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege, then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, at UFC 311 before withdrawing on hours’ notice due to an injury. After the withdrawal, Tsarukyan has had a long path back to another lightweight title shot, even with Makhachev out of the division.
The UFC Hall of Famer Nurmagomedov still casts a shadow over the division he once reined six years after his retirement at UFC 254. He’s coached several top fighters to world championships, including Makhachev and his cousin Usman.
Nurmagomedov owns several gyms in Russia as he moves forward with his coaching career. But Tsarukyan recently claimed that one of his gyms isn’t self-funded, and was in fact built by controversial Russian president Vladimir Putin for the former UFC superstar.
Arman Tsarukyan’s claim about Khabib Nurmagomedov’s gyms raises questions
Tsarukyan raised eyebrows in a recent appearance on the PBD Podcast when he brought up Nurmagomedov’s relationship with the Russian government.
“Even Khabib, he got paid for his gym,” Tsarukyan said of Nurmagomedov. “Putin built for him a gym. For example, if you’re a gold [medalist] and you want to build your own gym, they give you money to build your own gym.” (h/t HITC)
In a recent Instagram comment, Nurmagomedov cleared the air on Tsarukyan’s claims.
“This is absolutely not true,” Nurmagomedov responded.
“No one ever paid for my bills or built gyms for me.”
Despite Tsarukyan’s recent back-and-forth with Nurmagomedov, Tsarukyan claimed last year that Nurmagomedov remains his biggest MMA inspiration. Tsarukyan, who grew up in Armenia, is considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters who haven’t won a UFC title.
As of this writing, there’s no direct evidence that any of Nurmagomedov’s gyms were built by Putin and his government.
What is your favorite UFC memory from Khabib Nurmagomedov’s career? Let us know in the comments!