Khabib Nurmagomedov Stands with Cain Velasquez, Wants to See Him: ‘It’s Not Fair’

Adam Fishkin

May 24, 2022

It’s hard not to have the back of the people you have been training with for years. Recently, former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov shared his opinion on his long-time training partner at American Kickboxing Academy, Cain Velasquez, who was charged with shooting at a man who allegedly sexually abused one of Velasquez’s relatives, hitting the driver of the car in which his target was riding. The former UFC heavyweight champion Velasquez has recently been denied bail, a decision that Nurmagomedov didn’t like. While talking with TMZ Sports, “The Eagle” expressed his disappointment in the American justice system by contrasting it with the Russian one.

“In Russia, we can go and see anybody,” Nurmagomedov said. “I don’t know the law here in U.S. I really want to go and see him (Velasquez). After a couple days, I’m gonna be in San Jose. I want to go see him, shake his hand, give him good energy. Anybody in the world who respects himself, who loves his family is gonna do same thing, exactly. Nobody going to think about law or something when you have something about family. You have to protect your family. If animals protect their family, of course, humans protect their family.”

Nurmagomedov (29-0, 13-0 UFC) hadn’t competed since October 2020, when he choked out former interim UFC 155-pound titleholder Justin Gaethje due to a triangle maneuver. Shortly after securing the victory, the Dagestani champion announced his retirement from competitions. Nurmagomedov has focused on promoting mixed martial arts events through his Eagle Fighting Championship since upending his four-ounce gloves.

“We talk about law, court, they hold him in jail, I don’t understand this thing,” he added. “You always have to be fair, it’s not fair. He’s in jail and other guy is out. What about other guy? Put this guy [in] jail, too. He’s more dangerous for people than Cain Velasquez. Never in his life — he’s 40-years-old — never have he had problems [socially] outside with people, [in the] gym. He’s most respectful guy I ever seen in my life. I was training with him more than 10 years, I know his family, everybody loves Cain, what happened is like, this is his kids. I don’t understand how okay, you put him the jail, what about other guy? More dangerous than Cain. Cain only dangerous for one man in the world. But this guy dangerous for everybody and he’s outside, I don’t understand it.”