Khabib ‘Worried’ About Becoming Famous After UFC 209

No. 1-ranked UFC lightweight contender Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov is set to take on No. 2-ranked Tony Ferguson in the co-main event of this weekend’s (Sat., March 4, 2016) UFC 209 from Las Vegas, Nevada.

The winner of the bout will be crowned the interim 155-pound champion, and while he’s focused on winning the belt, Nurmagomedov admits that he’s ‘worried’ about the fame that comes with it:

“Honest, I worry about (becoming) famous. Of course I want a belt, but with belt comes that crazy attention,” said Khabib on “The MMA Hour.” “To be honest, I worry about that because I like it when people don’t know me.”

Being a champion and being a star in mixed martial arts brings tremendous responsibilities, especially within the media. “The Eagle” said that, at times, he gets ‘tired’ of talking about fighting, although he knows it’s all part of the process:

“All the time people talk about fights, fights, all the time people talk about MMA — I can talk with people about other stuff, not just MMA. Sometimes I am tired about this, but I understand. MMA is crazy now, it’s not like 10 years ago. MMA is one of the biggest sports in the world and I think after this fight its going to change a lot of things.”

The undefeated Nurmagomedov is coming off of a brutal submission victory over Michael Johnson last November at UFC 205 in New York. Ferguson, on the other hand, is riding an incredible nine fight winning streak, and is coming off of a victory over former champion Raphael dos Anjos.

Who do you expect to come out on top at UFC 209?