Journalist Azamat Bostanov has shared his memories from UFC 223 in Brooklyn eight years ago when Khabib Nurmagomedov won the lightweight title. Bostanov recalls interviewing Artem Lobov after the famous confrontation with Khabib, and manager Ali Abdelaziz initially telling him to stay away from their team. However, Khabib intervened, saying Bostanov was their guy just doing his job. Bostanov also recounts how 20-30 Dagestanis gathered at the hotel to protect Khabib from potential provocations from Conor McGregor's team. After the event, despite being exhausted, Khabib took time to take photos with fans, let Bostanov wear his championship belt, and spoke to numerous people via video calls in his hotel room. Bostanov also revealed that Zabit Magomedsharipov broke two fingers during his warm-up at that event but didn't tell anyone so the athletic commission wouldn't cancel his fight, which he went on to win.
Journalist Azamat Bostanov has shared a series of personal recollections from UFC 223 in Brooklyn, the April 2018 card on which Khabib Nurmagomedov captured the UFC lightweight title — a night that produced memorable moments both inside the arena and behind the scenes.
Nurmagomedov, now 37, retired with a perfect 29-0 record and remains one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history. The Russian standout, who stood five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, was a relentless grappler, averaging 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career. UFC 223 was the culmination of years of anticipation around his lightweight title pursuit, and the event took place against a backdrop of chaos involving Conor McGregor's infamous bus attack earlier that week.
Bostanov recalls that when he attempted to approach Nurmagomedov's camp, manager Ali Abdelaziz initially told him to keep his distance. Khabib himself stepped in, vouching for the journalist and telling Abdelaziz he was their guy simply doing his job. Bostanov also spoke to Artem Lobov following the now-famous confrontation between Lobov and Khabib that helped spark the broader McGregor incident. Lobov, the 39-year-old Irish-based featherweight who carries a 13-15-1 record, was at the center of that flashpoint.
On the security side, Bostanov recounts that between 20 and 30 Dagestanis assembled at the team's hotel to shield Nurmagomedov from any potential provocations by McGregor's entourage.
After the fight, an exhausted Khabib nonetheless made time for fans, posed for photographs, allowed Bostanov to wear the championship belt, and spoke with numerous people through video calls from his hotel room.
Why it matters
- The account adds human texture to one of the UFC's most turbulent and significant title fights.
- Bostanov also revealed that Zabit Magomedsharipov, the 35-year-old Russian featherweight who owns an 18-1 record, broke two fingers during his warm-up that night but concealed the injury to avoid having his bout pulled by the athletic commission — a fight he went on to win.
- The story surfaces eight years on, offering a rare first-hand perspective from within the Dagestani camp during a pivotal moment in the sport's history.
