Novak Djokovic meets former MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov during preseason in Dubai, Russian calls him the "GOAT"

Novak Djokovic recently clicked a picture with former Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov. The two met after Djokovic arrived in Dubai for his off-season training.

The Serb had first traveled to Marbella for some preliminary practice sessions. He landed in Dubai earlier this week, and is currently undergoing full-fledged training at the Atlantis The Royal Hotel.

Novak Djokovic and his team, including coach Goran Ivanisevic, turned up at the NAS Sports Complex on Thursday (December 21), where they caught up with some of the elite athletes from the MMA.

Taking to social media, Khabib Nurmagomedov shared a picture of himself with the 24-time Grand Slam champion, calling him the "GOAT" (Greatest Of All Time).

"With GOAT @djokernole," Nurmagomedov wrote on Instagram.

The Serb later reshared the picture on his Instagram handle.

The Serb's Instagram story on Thursday

Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA in 2021. The Russian has an all-time title defense record in the UFC lightweight division. He went out with an undefeated record, having registered 29 wins and no losses.

Meanwhile, Djokovic is preparing for a much-anticipated exhibition face-off against Carlos Alcaraz. The match, which is set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 27, will serve as preparation for the 2024 Australian Open.

The exhibition event will also see World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka take on Ons Jabeur. That match will take place on December 26.

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"Novak Djokovic by far the greatest of all time, history books show that" - Leander Paes

The Serb at the 2023 ATP Finals

Former Indian tennis player Leander Paes also believes that Novak Djokovic is the greatest of all time. In a recent interview, the former doubles World No. 1 credited the Serb for his "phenomenal" mentality.

Paes claimed Djokovic still has enough fuel left in his tank and that the 20 2US Open title will not be his last Grand Slam title.

"This Serbian boy who is a great athlete with a phenomenal mind - for me, by far the greatest of all time. Why? Because the history books show that. He has won 24 Grand Slams and counting…it doesn’t look like he’s stopping. This is insane," Leander Paes stated.

Novak Djokovic is expected to get the ball rolling for the next season at the United Cup, which will commence on December 29. He was last seen in action at the Davis Cup, where he lost 2-6, 6-2, 5-7 to Jannik Sinner as Serbia got knocked out in the semifinals by eventual champions Italy.