Tax debts in the millions
Kremlin freezes accounts of MMA legend Nurmagomedov
May 13, 2024, 8:06 a.m
Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the greatest MMA fighters. He was UFC lightweight champion for years and earned several million dollars. However, the martial arts star is said to have accumulated tax debts in his native Russia.
Former undefeated UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov apparently has problems with the Kremlin. The 35-year-old is said to owe the Russian tax authority 306 million rubles, the equivalent of $3.3 million, in unpaid taxes. As a result, several private and business accounts in Russia were blocked. This is what Mash Media and RT report.
Accordingly, Nurmagomedov’s economic activities in particular are said to have accumulated a tax burden after his sporting career ended in 2020. According to the reports, the 35-year-old had transferred the ownership of his companies to relatives and partners, and the tax authority was then said to have found irregularities in documents relating to the closure of these companies. Russian authorities suspect that Nurmagomedov used the tax share accrued from the transfers to “purchase hotels and startups in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.”
Among the frozen accounts are his MMA promotion, Eagle FC, in addition to some of the martial artist’s charities. This could now fall victim to his tax affair. Nurmagomedov bought Gorilla Fighting Championship in 2020 for $1 million and re-founded it as Eagle FC. In 2022, the former UFC star held an event in the USA for the first time under this banner, but there have been no Eagle FC combat sports events since November 2023.
Nurmagomedov is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time and had retired undefeated with an astonishing record of 29-0. For years he was UFC lightweight champion. During his winning streak he had defeated top stars such as Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, and his fight fees totaled more than $20 million. Nurmagomedov was born in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, but lives temporarily in the United Arab Emirates.