Khabib Nurmagomedov Reveals Why UFC Pressured Him to Abandon His Name for ‘The Eagle’

The UFC and its fans have a love-hate relationship. While it’s undeniable how entertaining the promotion is, some of their decisions don’t sit well with the public, nor the fighters within it. Former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of those fighters who has taken issue with how the promotion handles business. 

The undefeated Dagestani legend recently appeared in an interview with World Sports Summit at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. While there, the 37-year-old aired his frustration with the UFC, going as far as to reveal how the promotion pressured him to adopt a nickname when he first joined. 

Khabib Nurmagomedov reveals what the UFC wants

While discussing the politics within MMA promotions in the United States, Khabib Nurmagomedov made it clear that he is not a fan of how things operate, urging promotions to be fairer. He pointed out that Dagestani fighters in the UFC rarely lose, yet the promotion often hesitates to extend their contracts, stressing that “somebody has to talk about this.” 

Khabib added that the current state of the promotion reminded him of his own early days in the UFC. “This is what I don’t like. Because I remember myself in 2012, when they just signed me, they told me, ‘My friend, it’s very hard to say your name, you need a nickname,’” Khabib recalled. “I’m like, what? I have my name, why do I need a nickname? And even I asked my manager, What is this nickname? What do you mean nickname?”

After realizing the issue, he was effectively pushed to adopt ‘The Eagle’ as his nickname—a decision he accepted “because it’s a symbol of Dagestan.” Still, Khabib noted that the nickname may not have been necessary, because “after six years, everybody knows my name.” While it can be argued that the UFC played a significant role in building his global profile, Khabib believes the promotion prioritizes the wrong traits.