JOHOR BARU, Dec 4 — Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight World Champion, Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov is set to open a training gym in Johor.

The announcement was made by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi on his official Facebook yesterday after meeting the former mixed martial arts (MMA) champion in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates together with a state government delegation.

"During Khabib’s audience session with Johor Regent Tunku Mahkota Ismail in early October, we discussed youth development programmes and suggestions for opening a training gymnasium in the state.

"Through the meeting today, I witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Johor Sports Council (MSNJ) and the undefeated mixed martial artist for the opening of Khabib gym in Johor,” he said.

Onn Hafiz hoped that through the collaboration, Johor would continue to progress in home development and be able to open more world-class sports facilities, like those he saw in Abu Dhabi.

"I was very impressed to see for myself the world-class facilities available here, including the MMA octagon as well as special spaces for martial arts such as Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, boxing, and wrestling.

"In addition, this gymnasium is also equipped with equipment for cardio and weightlifting training. Recovery facilities are also provided, including a sauna and swimming pool which give users the opportunity to achieve the best performance in training,” he said.

The 36-year-old Nurmagomedov became well-known when he competed and won in the lightweight division of the UFC. He was the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion, having held the title from April 2018 to March 2021.

With a total of 29 wins and no losses, Nurmagomedov retired with an undefeated record.

He is widely considered to be among the best in MMA and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022.