Manager and journalist Azamat Bostanov shared memories from UFC 223 eight years ago when Khabib Nurmagomedov won the lightweight championship. After Bostanov had interviewed Artem Lobov following the infamous confrontation with Khabib, manager Ali Abdelaziz told him not to approach their team. However, Khabib overruled Abdelaziz, putting his arm around Bostanov and saying he was just doing his job. Bostanov recalled 20-30 Dagestanis gathering at the hotel entrance in case Conor McGregor's team arrived, and noted that Zabit broke two fingers during warmups but competed anyway without telling the commission. After the event, despite being exhausted, Khabib spent time with fans, took photos, and spoke with people via video calls from strangers' phones in his hotel room.
