Azamat Bostanov, now a fighter manager, recalled his experience covering Khabib Nurmagomedov's championship victory at UFC 223 in Brooklyn eight years ago. After interviewing Artem Lobov following the famous bus incident, Bostanov encountered Ali Abdelaziz who told him not to approach their team. However, Khabib intervened, putting his arm around Bostanov and telling Abdelaziz that he was their guy just doing his job. Bostanov also remembered 20-30 Dagestanis gathering at the hotel entrance to prevent any provocations from Conor McGregor's team. After the event, Khabib was exhausted but took time to greet everyone, allowed Bostanov to wear his championship belt for a photo, and spoke with numerous people via video calls in his hotel room despite not knowing many of them personally.
Azamat Bostanov, now working as a fighter manager, has shared his firsthand account of covering Khabib Nurmagomedov's lightweight championship win at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, a night that showcased a side of the undefeated champion rarely seen in the spotlight.
Bostanov recalled that after conducting an interview with Artem Lobov in the wake of the now-infamous bus attack incident, he was approached by manager Ali Abdelaziz, who warned him to stay away from the team. Khabib stepped in immediately, placing his arm around Bostanov and telling Abdelaziz that the journalist was simply doing his job and had their support.
Khabib, who retired with a perfect 29-0 record and remains one of the most dominant grapplers the sport has ever produced, was 37 years old at the peak of his career. The Dagestani fighter averaged an extraordinary 5.32 takedowns per 15 minutes across his career, pairing elite wrestling with a striking accuracy of 48 percent. His composed, team-first character off the mat was evidently on full display that evening in Brooklyn.
Lobov, the 39-year-old Ireland-based featherweight who trains out of SBG Ireland and carries a professional record of 13-15-1, had been at the center of the chaos that week after his confrontation with Conor McGregor's team led to the bus attack. McGregor himself, the 37-year-old southpaw from Dublin who holds a 22-6 record, was the opposing force that night, and Bostanov noted that a group of 20 to 30 Dagestanis had gathered at the hotel entrance specifically to prevent any provocations from McGregor's camp.
Why it matters
- The anecdote adds rare personal texture to one of the most turbulent weeks in UFC history
- It highlights the loyalty and accessibility Khabib showed to media from his region despite the surrounding tension
- Lobov's central role in the bus incident is reframed through the perspective of a journalist caught between the rival camps
