Manager recalls Khabib's kindness during UFC 223 championship win in 2018

Azamat Bostanov, now a fighter manager, recounts his experience covering Khabib Nurmagomedov's championship victory at UFC 223 in Brooklyn eight years ago. He describes how manager Ali Abdelaziz initially told him to stay away from the team, but Khabib intervened, saying "This is our guy, he's just doing his work." Bostanov recalls the tension after the Artem Lobov confrontation, with 20-30 Dagestanis gathering at the hotel to protect Khabib from potential Conor McGregor provocations. He also shares a story about Zabit fighting with two broken fingers that night, keeping the injury secret to avoid being pulled from the card. After the fight, despite exhaustion, Khabib spent time with dozens of well-wishers in his hotel room, taking photos and video calls. Bostanov emphasizes that Khabib remained the same friendly, approachable person even after multiple title defenses, once even stopping to offer him a ride in Moscow years later.