Habib protected journalist Bostanov at UFC 223 despite manager's objections

Azamat Bostanov, now a fighter manager, recalled his experience covering Khabib Nurmagomedov's championship win at UFC 223 eight years ago. After Bostanov interviewed Artem Lobov following the famous confrontation with Khabib, manager Ali Abdelaziz emotionally told him not to approach their team. However, Khabib intervened, putting his arm around Bostanov and telling Abdelaziz 'This is our guy, he's just doing his work.' Bostanov also described the tense atmosphere with 20-30 Dagestanis gathering at the hotel to protect Khabib from potential provocations from Conor McGregor's team. After the fight, despite being exhausted, Khabib took time to photograph with fans, let Bostanov wear his championship belt, and spoke with numerous well-wishers in his hotel room, many of whom he didn't even know.