KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV has had his say on football’s GOAT debate.
The reigning UFC Lightweight champion is a passionate fan, and recently attended Barcelona’s clash with PSG in the Champions League.
Khabib Nurmagomedov reckons his pal Cristiano Ronaldo is football’s greatest everCredit: Instagram / @cristiano
Real Madrid is the club closest to his heart, however, and it is a former Bernabeu hero that he ranks as the game’s No1.
The Dagestani fighter told Russian YouTuber Krasava: “Well, I would place Cristiano first.
“Cristiano is the best. Zlatan can also be called a great player in his own way. And in terms of results – Messi is the best.
“So: Cristiano, Messi, Zlatan.”
Khabib, 32, also recently revealed that he dreamed of being a footballer – but in Dagestan, fighting comes first.
He said: “I’ve loved football since my childhood and always dreamed of becoming a footballer.
“But I was born in Dagestan and you know yourselves, what the priority is.
“Who knows, maybe if Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Dagestan, he would have also become a UFC champion.”
Lionel Messi is only No2 on Khabib’s listCredit: Splash News
Zlatan is still going strong at 39Credit: Getty Images – Getty
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CR7 and Khabib are great pals, with the latter having also lifted the lid on his friendship with the Portuguese great.
He added: “We talk many times, almost every day, but when we met we had a conversation about where we got our motivation from. He told me that he wants his son to be his successor.
“When Cristiano was a kid, he could only dream of having a simple pair of boots. But his son has everything.
“He fears that his son will not feel the same hunger, the same will. People are guided by that will. Feel the desire to achieve things.
“When you have everything, it’s hard to find the right motivation.
“When he told me that, I’m not going to say I was surprised, but I enjoyed listening to him. I realised that he’s a person who is not content with one, two or three titles.”
Khabib retired last October after beating Justin Gaethje on Fight Island to move to 29-0.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
