"You and father came first" - Khabib Nurmagomedov pays tribute to long-time friend Shamil Zavurov ahead of his last MMA fight

Khabib Nurmagomedov shares an unbreakable bond with his comrades from Dagestan. Regardless of the promotional banner they fight under, be it UFC or Eagle FC, Khabib supports his contemporaries without any reservations. He recently offered a glimpse of this spirit with a shout-out to Shamil Zavurov.

In a recent post on Instagram, Khabib Nurmagomedov opened his heart to his fans and his long-time friend Shamil Zavurov. In an inspiring tribute to Zavurov, Khabib thanked the 37-year-old for his undying loyalty and constant support:

"Thank you, Brother, for everything. You have always been there for me and my personality and success in sports are directly tied to you. Alhamdulilah that Allah has surrounded me with many worthy people who have subsequently influenced me positively and have a lot of significance in my life, because surroundings have a lot of meaning but you and Father came first," wrote a seemingly emotional Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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Shamil Zavurov on Khabib Nurmagomedov and his father

Zavurov, ahead of his Eagle Fighting Championship 40 fight against Nariman Abbaso, opened up about his relationship with Khabib Nurmagomedov and his father, Abdulmanap.

Zavurov admitted that Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov had always been a perennial presence throughout his career in combat sports. In an interview with Tribuna, Zavurov offered his two cents on Khabib Nurmagomedov and his father:

"We always thought that he would always be there. Of course, it's sad on the one hand. On the other hand, I want to pay tribute to the memory that he devoted all his life to sports and to us – not only coaching us, but also bringing us up," said Zavurov.

As far as Khabib was concerned, he described the former UFC lightweight kingpin in glowing terms:

"Khabib is the greatest. It's not about victories, but about example and lifestyle. What was little Khabib like? Stubborn... he asked a lot of questions constantly. I remember the elder uncle always told him: this is the last question, don't ask any more. Khabib saw something, and that's it: why? Why? Everything was always interesting," said Zavurov.

At the tail end of his career in the octagon, Zavurov could very well opt to accompany his lifelong friend. Working towards the development of fighters and MMA as a whole, there is no doubt they will find success in this venture just as they did inside the cage.