Tsarukyan claims Putin built gym for Nurmagomedov, denied

UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan sparked controversy by claiming that Russian President Vladimir Putin built a gym for retired champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, a statement Nurmagomedov promptly denied on social media.

Tsarukyan made the remark during a recent appearance on the PBD Podcast, suggesting Nurmagomedov received government funding similar to that given to Olympic gold medalists. "Even Khabib, he got paid for his gym," Tsarukyan said. "Putin built for him a gym. For example, if you're a gold medalist and you want to build your own gym, they give you money to build your own gym." The comment came amid discussions of Nurmagomedov's influence in the lightweight division, where he has coached champions like protege Islam Makhachev and cousin Usman Nurmagomedov since retiring undefeated in 2020 after UFC 254.

Nurmagomedov responded directly in an Instagram comment: "This is absolutely not true. No one ever paid for my bills or built gyms for me." The former champion owns multiple gyms in Russia as part of his coaching career but rejected any government involvement. Separate reports have mentioned Putin congratulating Nurmagomedov after his 2018 victory over Conor...