Mohamed Bin Zayed and Nurmagomedov
Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces with Nurmagomedov Image Credit: WAM

UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov met Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council this week in the UAE.

The champion met Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed earlier in the week, while Sheikh Hamdan posted pictures of a separate meet-up on his Instagram account on Thursday.

The champ who defeated Dustin Poirier in the third round of their UFC 242 lightweight title unification fight at the Yas Arena in Abu Dhabi met Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed on Monday at Qasr Al Bahr. Nurmagomedov's father was also present at both meetings.

The UFC returned to Abu Dhabi for the first time since 2014 and took place at “The Arena,” a venue constructed just for the event on Yas Island. It was a blockbuster night featuring 13 fights between some of the world’s best mixed martial arts fighters but the headline fight was that of Nurmagomedov, returning after a 11-month long gap, and interim champ Poirier.

With the victory, experts say, Nurmagomedov has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest fighters that Mixed Martial Arts has ever produce.