Nurmagomedov intervened to allow journalist access to his team at UFC 223

Azamat Bostanov, now a fighter manager, recalled his experience covering Khabib Nurmagomedov's UFC 223 title win eight years ago in Brooklyn. Manager Ali Abdel-Aziz initially prohibited Bostanov from approaching their team after he had interviewed Artem Lobov following the famous bus incident. However, Nurmagomedov overruled this, putting his arm around Bostanov and telling Abdel-Aziz that he was "our guy" just doing his job. Bostanov also recalled 20-30 Dagestanis gathering at the hotel ready to protect Khabib from potential provocations from Conor McGregor's team. After the victory, despite being exhausted, Nurmagomedov took time to photograph with fans, let Bostanov wear his championship belt, and patiently spoke with everyone who wanted to congratulate him, including many people he didn't know who video-called friends and relatives.