Khabib Nurmagomedov wanted all the smoke after Khamzat Chimaev got into UFC 280 cageside scuffle with his cousin

Fans have spotted Khabib Nurmagomedov's reaction to Khamzat Chimaev's cageside scuffle with his cousin Abubakar Nurmagomedov.

Khabib and his team were in utter euphoria after seeing Islam Makhachev become undisputed UFC lightweight champion in the UFC 280 main event.

Makhachev submitted Charles Oliveira, the best finisher in UFC history, in a sensational performance at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Makhachev and Nurmagomedov have been friends and teammates from a very early age and there was a special moment when the former placed the belt on the shoulder of the legendary former champion as a tribute to his late father.

Yet the celebrations were interrupted as the undefeated Chimaev got into it with Abubakar, who was also involved in that infamous melee with Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in Las Vegas.

At first the two were shaking hands and engaging in a conversation but then it got more and more intense, with shoves and punches.

Security stepped in to restrain both men. But footage has emerged of Khabib lurking inside the Octagon and it's fair to say the Eagle looked ready to fly if things escalated further.

You'll remember he did just that in October 2018 when tempers flare after his win over McGregor. This time, instead of launching himself over the cage, he propped up on the fence like a dog wanting to know what was going on.

He was staring intently and looked ready to defend his team if he felt it was necessary to do so.

Now happily in retirement, the UFC Hall of Famer let it slide and he helped squash the beef between Chimaev and his cousin.

Abubakar posted a video of Khabib mediating a peace agreement meeting between the pair, with controversial Chechen Ramzan Kadyrov also speaking to the two fighters on a FaceTime call.

Recently, Khabib had been critical of Chimaev and called for him to have more Muslims in his team to steer him on the right path.

“If you are a Muslim, you should have good people around you," he said during a fundraiser.

"Muslims who can say 'Hey, don’t do this.' I recently watched the weigh-in of Khamzat Chimaev. I followed what was happening with his weight and looked at his team.

"There are no Muslims around him and this is very bad. Because if you are a Muslim, you need good, strong people around you that will say 'Come back, do this.'"

Khabib's comments came after he brawled with Kevin Holland backstage at the UFC 279 press conference and then failed to make weight for his slated bout against Nate Diaz.

Featured Image Credit: Image: RMC Sport Combat

Topics: Conor McGregor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Khamzat Chimaev

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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