Nurmagomedov welcomed journalist despite manager's objection at UFC 223

Eight years ago at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, Khabib Nurmagomedov won the UFC lightweight championship. Russian journalist Azamat Bostanov recalls his experience at the event, where manager Ali Abdel-Aziz initially told him not to approach their team after Bostanov had interviewed Artem Lobov following the famous hotel confrontation. However, Nurmagomedov overruled his manager, put his arm around Bostanov and said he was just doing his job. Bostanov also recalls 20-30 Dagestanis gathering at the hotel entrance to prevent any provocations from Conor McGregor's team, and notes that Zabit Magomedsharipov fought on the same card with two broken fingers that he kept secret to avoid being pulled from the bout. After the event, despite being exhausted, Nurmagomedov took time to photograph with fans and speak with everyone who wanted his attention.