UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov shows his softer side at RIZIN x Bellator event; helps heartbroken fighter after loss

Mixed Martial Arts fans know UFC lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov to be one of the most dominant fighters to have ever stepped foot inside the famed octagon, but who knew 'The Eagle' had a softer side?

Although the UFC Hall of Famer has never tasted defeat inside the octagon, he seemed to be empathetic while consoling a heartbroken fighter after his loss at the recently concluded Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN FF event.

Japenese mixed martial artist Koji Takeda suffered a unanimous decision loss against Khabib Nurmagomedov's protege Gadzhi Rabadanov at the event. Seeing a clearly upset Takeda, 'The Eagle' came up to him in the ring and gave some encouraging words to the Japanese fighter.

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In a video posted to the Instagram account @za.khabiba, the Dagestani can be seen raising Takeda's hands in an effort to console him.

With the win at Bellator MMA vs. RIZIN, Gadzhi Rabadanov improved his MMA record to 19-4. The Dagestani is currently undefeated in Bellator with four straight wins.

The cross-promotional Bellator MMA vs. Rizin event was held on New Year's Eve at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan. The card saw Bellator fighters secure a 5-0 clean sweep against Rizin athletes.

Nurmagomedov's exploits at Bellator don't end with Gadzhi Rabadanov. In fact, the former UFC champ's cousin Usman Nurmagomedov is the reigning lightweight champion in the American fight promotion.

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Bellator MMA president Scott Coker says that Khabib Nurmagomedov "was freaking out" over RIZIN x Bellator

It looks like Khabib Nurmagomedov was mesmerized by the recent RIZIN x Bellator cross-promotional event, held at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

During the press conference following the card, Bellator MMA president Scott Coker revealed that the former UFC lightweight kingpin was fully enticed by the event:

"It’s very interesting, because he wasn’t here in the heyday. I got to see those fights. A lot of you know that [I’ve been] in the martial arts business a long time, I started working for K-1 in 1999, so I got to see all the great fights in K-1. I got to see the great fights of PRIDE. And Khabib has never see the production and the fans, and he was freaking out."

Coker added:

“He was telling me, This is unbelievable. He kept telling me, This is unbelievable. I had no idea that something like this was happening in Japan. And I said, This is where it started, Khabib. This is where MMA and martial arts combat, it started here."

Watch Scott Coker talk about Khabib Nurmagomedov below:

The UFC legend also noted his appreciation for both promotions for hosting an event of such magnitude in an Instagram post.