Azamat Bostanov, now an MMA manager, shared memories from UFC 223 in Brooklyn where Khabib Nurmagomedov won the lightweight title eight years ago. He recounted 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 job." Bostanov described how dozens of Dagestanis gathered at the hotel ready to defend Khabib from potential provocations by Conor McGregor's team. After the victory over Al Iaquinta, despite exhaustion, Khabib spent time with fans in his crowded hotel room, taking photos and speaking with everyone who wanted to congratulate him. Bostanov also revealed that Zabit Magomedsharipov broke two fingers during his warm-up at the same event but kept it secret and fought anyway to avoid being pulled by the athletic commission.
Eight years after Khabib Nurmagomedov claimed the UFC lightweight title at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, MMA manager Azamat Bostanov has shared a vivid account of the atmosphere surrounding that night and the champion's conduct in its aftermath.
Bostanov, who covered the event as a journalist before transitioning into management, recalled a tense early exchange with Ali Abdelaziz, who initially told him to keep his distance from the team. Khabib stepped in and overruled the instruction, telling Abdelaziz that Bostanov was simply doing his job. It was a moment that illustrated how the undefeated Russian carried himself even in the chaos of a title-fight week.
Khabib, now 37, retired with a perfect 29-0 record and remains one of the most dominant lightweights the sport has seen. Standing five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, he averaged 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career and landed significant strikes at a 48 percent accuracy rate — numbers that reflect just how thoroughly he controlled opponents once the fight hit the mat.
His opponent that night, Al Iaquinta, stepped in on short notice and pushed him the full five rounds. Iaquinta, also 39 now, carries a 14-7-1 professional record and fights out of the Serra-Longo Fight Team. He averaged 4.06 significant strikes per minute across his career, making him a persistent and awkward challenge even for a fighter of Khabib's calibre.
Bostanov also recalled that dozens of Dagestanis had gathered at the hotel, prepared to shield Khabib from any provocation by Conor McGregor's camp following the infamous bus attack earlier that week. Despite that tension, and despite the physical toll of a five-round title fight, Khabib returned to his crowded hotel room and spent time with every fan who wanted a photo or a word with him.
A separate detail from the same event involves Zabit Magomedsharipov, who Bostanov says broke two fingers during his pre-fight warm-up but concealed the injury to avoid being pulled from the card by the athletic commission and competed regardless.
