Khabib Nurmagomedov says recent ring deaths make him 'hate this sport in which we beat each other'
- Maxim Dadashev's death on Tuesday has made the UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov rethink how he sees combat sports.
- Dadashev died on Tuesday, four days after suffering a brain injury during his loss to Subriel Matias in the US.
- Argentine boxer Hugo Santillan also passed away this week just days after competing in the ring.
- Stories like these make Nurmagomedov "hate this sport in which we beat each other."
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Khabib Nurmagomedov has said that Maxim Dadashev's death has made him "hate this sport in which we beat each other."
Dadashev died on Tuesday, four days after suffering a brain injury during his stoppage loss to Subriel Matias at the MGM National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Friday.
Dadashev's corner threw in the towel in the 11th round. He was then taken to hospital but never recovered.
"This case proves once again that sport is not the most important thing, there are things that are much more important," Nurmagomedov, the UFC's unbeaten lightweight world champion, said in an Instagram post, Thursday.
Two days after Dadashev died, the Argentine boxer Hugo Santillan died from injuries he suffered during a fight last weekend.
"Every time I see or hear such news, I begin to hate this sport in which we beat each other," Nurmagomedov said. "Everything is temporary, fame, money, titles, and our whole life, we all leave this world, no one will remain."
See his Instagram post below:
Nurmagomedov is famous for his fourth-round submission win over Conor McGregor at UFC 229 on October 6, 2018.
He returns to the Octagon for UFC 242 on September 7 when he defends his lightweight belt against Dustin Poirier.