Following Ronda Rousey’s recent remarks on the Russian star and the larger MMA scene, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has fired back at the former bantamweight champion. Abdelaziz attacked Rousey’s comments and disputed her continuing importance in the current era of the sport.
Appearing on the podcast The Bert Kreischer Show had contended that Nurmagomedov’s perfect 29-0 record cemented his legend mostly because he quit before experiencing a setback. She advised that fans would have turned against him as they have with other celebrities, should he have gone on and finally lost.
Abdelaziz said in reaction that the remarks were ‘jealousy’ and claimed that Nurmagomedov’s career speaks for itself. He claimed that Rousey’s main opponents lacked the same degree of sporting intensity and cited her defeats, especially to Amanda Nunes, as proof that she could not equal what his client had accomplished. Furthermore, Ali Abdelaziz boldly asserted that Rousey’s standing in the contemporary, changed UFC scene.
He speculated that, should she try a comeback right now, she would find it difficult to enter the top ten of the women’s division. Though Abdelaziz recognized Rousey’s contribution in launching women’s MMA, his tone was dismissive of her present rank, arguing that the sport has changed and that fresh competitors are performing at a greater level. The remarks stoke discussion on legacy versus present performance in mixed martial arts.
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Rarely challenged in talks on the finest sportsmen in the sport, Nurmagomedov retired without defeat. Ronda Rousey, meanwhile, remains a contentious character praised for overcoming barriers for women in MMA but condemned for her post-peak results and time away from the sport. This exchange highlights how the MMA scene has changed from Rousey’s era of supremacy to a generation of fighters working with greater depth and under different criteria. Abdelaziz’s remarks make it plain which side he is on.