UFC President Dana White is open to being an advisor to fellow promoter Khabib Nurmagomedov but thinks he’ll learn just how difficult it is for himself.
Nurmagomedov, a former UFC lightweight champion and arguably one of the greatest fighters ever, is the promoter of Eagle FC. The promotion has been in the headlines recently, as they signed former UFC interim lightweight title challenger Kevin Lee and UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans.
Nurmagomedov is off to an active start in this new career venture after retiring from MMA in 2020. However, White believes that sooner rather than later, Nurmagomedov will be confronted with the various challenges of being in the fight business.
“No, I haven’t talked to Khabib about his promotion at all, but he’s gonna find out what it’s like to be on the other side, and it’s not as fun as it seems,” White said at the UFC Vegas 45 post-fight press conference. “He’s gonna learn. If he doesn’t know, he’s gonna know.”
White was then asked if he would be open to helping Nurmagomedov ride the waves that come with fight promotion.
“Listen, if he calls me and wants some advice, I would absolutely give him advice,” White said. “But yeah, he’s gonna learn the hard way. [Chuckles]”
Eagle FC will host its first U.S. event next month in Miami, FL. The card will be headlined by kickboxing legend Tyrone Spong taking on Sergei Kharitonov.
White has been one of the most prominent personalities in MMA since he began his reign as the UFC headman in the early 2000s. While White and Nurmagomedov are now technically competitors, it sounds like the two could be in communications sooner rather than later regarding promoter life.
What are your thoughts on Dana White’s remarks about Khabib ‘learning the hard way’ about promoting?
