Azamat Bostanov, now a fighter manager, shared memories from UFC 223 in Brooklyn eight years ago when Khabib Nurmagomedov won the title. Bostanov recalls manager Ali Abdelaziz initially telling him to stay away from the team after he interviewed Artem Lobov, but Khabib intervened saying "this is our guy, he's just doing his job." He describes a crowd of 20-30 Dagestanis gathering at the hotel to protect Khabib from potential Conor McGregor provocations. After the victory, Khabib spent time with fans in his hotel room despite exhaustion, talking with strangers on video calls and posing for photos. Bostanov also notes that Zabit Magomedsharipov broke two fingers during warm-ups but fought anyway without telling the athletic commission, and that Khabib remained approachable and friendly in subsequent years.
