Journalist recalls Khabib's kindness during UFC 223 championship win in Brooklyn

Azamat Bostanov, now a fighter manager, shared his memories from Khabib Nurmagomedov's UFC 223 title win in Brooklyn eight years ago. He recalled arriving on the day of the infamous Artem Lobov-Khabib confrontation and quickly securing an interview with Lobov that went viral. When manager Ali Abdel-Aziz told him to stay away from their team, Khabib intervened saying "This is our guy, he's just doing his job" and put his arm around Bostanov. He described 20-30 Dagestanis gathering at the hotel entrance ready to protect Khabib from potential Conor McGregor provocations. Bostanov also revealed that Zabit broke two fingers during his warm-up at the same event but told no one to avoid being pulled from the fight. After winning the title, Khabib emerged exhausted to a packed hotel floor, placing his championship belt on Bostanov's shoulder for a photo and greeting countless well-wishers, including strangers in his room doing video calls. Even years later, Bostanov recalls Khabib randomly spotting him on the street and offering a ride, maintaining the same friendly demeanor despite his championship status.