Exclusive: Usman Nurmagomedov reveals truth behind Khabib Nurmagomedov's viral black eye photo

Ever since Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the sport, fight fans have been yearning to see him in action in any capacity—whether training, coaching or simply sharing insights. Most recently, a picture of him with a black eye became viral on social media.

'The Eagle' added a playful remark on the picture with the caption, "Does it mean that I'm getting older?" The picture proved to be a rare fight for fans who hadn't spotted the undefeated Russian with severe cuts or bruises even while he was an active fighter.

Check out the picture below:

His cousin and Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov revealed the truth behind the black eye in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA. He said:

"No no [I didn't give him the black eye]. It [happened] when he grappled with Islam Mamedov. I don't know how [it happened]. That day I was resting because Khabib pushed me all week and he said, 'Today you rest.' When he came, I said, 'Hey, what happened with your eye?' He's like Islam Mamedov gave me [the black eye] when they were grappling."

The 26-year-old Bellator star's career has steadily shown signs of approaching the renown and dominance of his cousin's professional career. The former UFC lightweight champion retired from the sport with an unblemished 29-0 record.

Usman Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, has won 17 fights in 18 professional outings. The slight irregularity on his otherwise pristine record is the no-contest against Brent Primus. While he won the fight by unanimous decision, the verdict was overturned after he tested positive for a banned substance in a prescription drug. However, the unintentional nature of the test saw that he wasn't stripped of the Bellator lightweight championship.

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Usman Nurmagomedov reveals what it's like to have Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner

Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from the sport after his second-round submission win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. 'The Eagle' honored his commitment to his mother of not competing without his father in his corner. His father and long-time trainer Abdulmanap passed away before the Gaethje fight on July. 3, 2020, at a clinic in Moscow, Russia, at the age of 57.

Since then, he has embraced the role of a coach and has played an instrumental part in the success of Islam Makhachev as the UFC lightweight champion. Usman Nurmagomedov spoke about the impact of having 'The Eagle' in his corner. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, he said:

"Honestly, when he's in your corner, it makes you feel like behind you, you have a mountain. Doesn't matter what's going to happen... Even if somebody puts you in a bad situation in the fight, Khabib knows what you have to do."