Khabib welcomed Russian journalist despite Ali Abdel-Aziz ban at UFC 223

Eight years ago when Khabib Nurmagomedov became UFC champion at UFC 223 in Brooklyn, few Russian journalists were present. Azamat Bostanov, now a fighter manager, recalls that Ali Abdel-Aziz initially told him not to approach the team after Bostanov interviewed Artem Lobov following Lobov's confrontation with Khabib. However, Khabib overruled Abdel-Aziz, putting his arm around Bostanov and saying "This is our guy, he's just doing his job." Bostanov also remembers 20-30 Dagestanis gathering at the hotel entrance ready to prevent any provocations from Conor McGregor's team. After the event, despite being exhausted, Khabib spent time with fans, took photos with his championship belt, and spoke with numerous people who called via video to congratulate him.