What price would you pay to get a picture with UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov?
It's a question sports fans in the UAE might want to ask themselves ahead of UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi this September, where Nurmagomedov headlines in the lightweight unification bout against Dustin Poirier.
A video has emerged on social media in which a young Barcelona fan requests a photo with Nurmagomedov, only for the fighter to tell him that, if he wants the snap granted, he has to switch allegiances. The undefeated Russian supports fierce rivals Real Madrid.
“Hey, he’s a Barcelona guy,” Nurmagomedov jokes as he poses with another fan. “No, only Madrid.”
On Nurmagomedov's prompting, the boy reluctantly mutters “Hala Madrid” and gets the photo. But was the trade-off worth it? He most probably thinks so.
UFC 242 takes place on September 7 at The Arena on Yas Island and concludes the inaugural Abu Dhabi Showdown Week.
For more details, go to https://visitabudhabi.ae/showdown-week/showdown.aspx.