PETA outraged by Khabib Nurmagomedov – calls on action from UFC

Khabib Nurmagomedov, reigning UFC lightweight champion, became an even bigger star recently after defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC 242. Nurmagomedov unified the lightweight titles and is still undefeated and undisputed. While he gained much appreciation and respect for his win, all onlookers weren’t positive. Animal rights organisation PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) brought to light older videos of Nurmagomedov wrestling a chained bear.

While Nurmagomedov is only a young boy in one of the clips, he revisited the same bear this year (supposedly).

While the bear doesn’t seem to be receiving any direct harm from Nurmagomedov, it is stilla wild animal chained to the ground, and the circumstances surrounding the treatment of the bear is unknown.

”PETA encourages the UFC to evaluate its relationship with Mr. Nurmagomedov until he shows a clear change in attitude and a commitment to showing animals the respect that they deserve,” PETA spokesperson Elisa Allen told Business Insider. “Wrestling with a chained bear is loathsome behaviour that shows an utter lack of respect for and consideration of who these animals are.”

It is however extremely unlikely that this will spark any interest or action from the UFC. Nurmagomedov has a close relationship with Chechen dictator Ramzan Khadyrov – a man who is cited for numerous human rights violations. This has never once sparked a single stern word from the UFC. Neither did a video that surfaced of Nurmagomedov and his entourage paying homeless men to do pushups while laughing at them.