Are Khabib Nurmagomedov and Cristiano Ronaldo friends?

Retired UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently video called football star Cristiano Ronaldo during a hangout with friends. The two top athletes have had a good relationship for some time.

UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev, another friend of Nurmagomedov, posted the video. In the clip, we can see the unbeaten champion in a video call with Ronaldo and his son, Cristiano Jr.

In the video's background, Makhachev, who is filming the moment, jokingly says to another friend: "Khabib is putting a serious team together."

Nurmagomedov is a long-time football fan and has interacted with the Portuguese legend before. Ronaldo also showed his admiration for Nurmagomedov when 'The Eagle' made his last UFC performance before retiring.

When Nurmagomedov defeated Justin Gaethje in UFC 254 three months after his father died due to COVID-19 complications, Ronaldo shared a picture of his television tuned to the UFC event with subtitles that read: "Congrats bro, your father is proud of you."

While Ronaldo prepares for another Serie A round with Juventus, Nurmagomedov gets ready for his meeting with UFC president Dana White and oversees his fighting promotion, Eagle FC's first event of the year, taking place in Dubai.

In his free time, Khabib Nurmagomedov enjoys his friends' company and supports his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov, who is set to make his debut at UFC 257 on Fight Island. At the same time, he gets to know other footballing idols currently in Dubai.

The Dagestani grappling master recently posted a picture to his Instagram with Clarence Seedorf, a retired Netherlands and Real Madrid superstar. Khabib Nurmagomedov praised Seedorf, saying that he was his father's favorite player.

Details about Khabib Nurmagomedov's fighting promotion emerge

The fighting promotion recently acquired by Khabib Nurmagomedov for a reported $1 million announced its first event of the year in the United Arab Emirates.

The Eagle Fighting Championship, former Gorilla FC, is the retired UFC lightweight champion's newest business venture. With a deal with the Emirati government and support from UFC president Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov expects to elevate his promotion to high standards.

The event will happen on January 15 and will be open to the public, under the condition of presenting proof of vaccination. The COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese state-owned Sinopharm was rolled out in the UAE last December.

The first Eagle FC event of the year will occur jointly with the Emirati fighting promotion UAE Warriors in Dubai. Khabib Nurmagomedov announced last year that he has plans for many more events to take place during 2021. UFC Fight Pass will stream all of the matches this year, including Eagle FC 31+UAE Warriors 14, next weekend.