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UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov says he might not be Dagestan’s most famous export for long after revealing that diminutive blogger Hasbulla Magomedov has a lengthy list of suitors seeking his signature.

Magomedov, known to many simply as Hasbulla or Hasbik, has captured the attention of a generation of fight fans after debuting online in a now infamous clip with pint-sized foe Abdu Rozik – but if you thought that his 15 minutes of fame were due to expire soon, think again.

READ MORE: Viral sensation Hasbulla reacts to claims UFC made $1.5mn offer (VIDEO)

Hasbulla – who is 19 years of age – has graduated from social media curiosity to a fully fledged phenomenon in recent months.

He attended October’s UFC 267 event in Abu Dhabi by invitation of Dana White himself, and was even proudly hoisted into the air by fellow Dagestani icon Islam Makhachev following the latter’s impressive first-round finish of Kiwi brawler Dan Hooker.

He boasts a keen friendship with Khabib, but although the internet has been awash with recent speculation that Hasbulla might follow in The Eagle’s footsteps by settling his feud with Abdu Rozik inside the UFC Octagon – rumors which have been positively stoked by Dana White – Khabib revealed he is against his pal throwing leather inside of a cage.

“Honestly, I don’t want to make this fight (with Abdu Rozik). I don’t support this idea. I don’t think this is a good idea,” Khabib told Red Corner MMA.

“They’re both big names, they can create some good things if they become friends. If I had a choice, I’m going to make them friends.

“Maybe do some good charity things [together], they can become ambassadors for charity funds… but I don’t want to see this fight. We have enough fighting around the world. Peace is better than war.”

Khabib did testify to Hasbulla’s phenomenal popularity, telling Red Corner MMA that the social media star should move Stateside to make millions – if not more.  

“He has to go the US, all the big sports stars know him there, he’s very popular,” said Khabib of his pal.

“He has to move for a couple of years to the US and become maybe a billionaire. Minimum he can become a millionaire.” 

And according to Khabib at a separate Moscow press on Wednesday, there has even been concrete interest from an entirely different type of arena: the WWE.

“The WWE, wrestling, also wants him to come to them somehow,” said the former UFC champion, according to Championat. 

“They want to pay him some big money to get him into the ring. He’s immensely popular abroad.”

So be it in a WWE ring, or maybe even the silver screen, it certainly doesn’t seem like we have seen the last of Hasbulla – and if Hollywood gets their way, we might be seeing a whole lot more before all is said and done.

Lewis Hamilton fumed that the race had been “manipulated” as he lost the F1 world title to Max Verstappen in astonishing circumstances in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, a newly-released radio message has shown.

Mercedes star Hamilton missed out on a record eighth world championship as Red Bull rival Max Verstappen overtook him on the last lap of a remarkable race at the Yas Marina circuit.   

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Hamilton had appeared on course for victory before the deployment of the safety car with five laps to go, which allowed Verstappen to get back within range.

Red Bull used the opportunity to bring the Dutchman in for a fresh set of tires while Hamilton remained out so that he would not lose track position.

There was then confusion – followed by fury from Mercedes – as race officials said that lapped cars which had been between Hamilton and Verstappen could ‘unlap’ themselves, meaning the Dutchman had a free run at his rival.

A new clip of radio exchange between Hamilton and his team has now emerged showing the Brit’s frustrations as the race reached a climax.

“This has been manipulated, man,” an angry Hamilton is heard saying on the last lap. 

Hamilton' final lap radio.

“This is getting manipulated man”

F1 #F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/isHOYFoEGK

— F1 News.Live (@f1newslive_) December 13, 2021

Mercedes filed two protests with FIA bosses following the race, one of which accused officials of not following proper protocols during the deployment of the safety car.

However, both were dismissed as Verstappen, 24, was confirmed champion – making him the first man from the Netherlands ever to win the F1 title.

Mercedes later announced they intended to lodge an appeal in an effort to get the race result overturned and have Hamilton declared the winner.

READ MORE: F1 officials reject Mercedes title protest   

Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed that ‘big plans’ will be announced at an upcoming press conference in Miami, as the Russian star continues to build his Eagle FC promotion.

Khabib’s time as an active fighter may have come and gone but the impressive recent growth of his Eagle FC fight promotion means that the undefeated Russia icon won’t be far from a cage. 

Speaking to Red Corner MMA, Nurmagomedov hinted at some of the future plans his fight league has the works, much of which he says will be revealed at a press conference in Miami on December 15 ahead of Eagle FC 44, which will be the promotion’s first event to take place in the United States.

It was revealed in recent days that former UFC champion Rashad Evans will compete on the card, while recent UFC refugee Kevin Lee is also strongly linked to fight – but as Khabib explained, the ambition and perhaps financial clout of Eagle FC is such that if even someone of the stature of Brock Lesnar was available, Khabib would be interested in striking a deal. 

“It’s going to be a big press conference in Miami, we’re going to show all our card, 28 January, in Miami, we’re going to announce some big signings, it’s going to be a lot of news,” Khabib told Red Corner MMA.

“They tell me, ‘don’t give inside news;… but we’re very close on [signing] Kevin Lee. At the press conference we’re going to have news.”

MMA promotions are a dime-a-dozen in the United States but Khabib says that he wants his league to be as far from a facsimile as possible, and even hinted that some of the weight classes might be different to those generally accepted in the current system in the United States.

“This is not about how big we make it,” explained Khabib.

“We want to make it a little bit different to other leagues. We’re going to make some weights maybe different, some system we want to change.

“Not everything… just use some other systems from other sports. In my league, we’re going to change some systems. We’re going to become very big around the world. The US, here in former USSR countries, in Russia of course, the Middle East.“

Some things, though, must be kept close to his chest, and to find out fans will have to tune into this week’s presser in the Sunshine State – but suffice to say, there are high level discussions taking place behind the scenes.

“I can’t talk about everything because I have press conference, I’m going to come out with some big news on December 15. We can even sign Brock Lesnar if we want and he wants. We have a good position, we have big plans. Brock Lesnar, if he wants, OK, let’s go,” he teased.

“Of course we know how big the UFC is, I don’t want to say some crazy things… but for leagues that are just beginning, we’re going to become promotion of the year.”

Over 500 female gymnasts who sued over the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Dr. Larry Nassar will receive a $380 million settlement from USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and their insurers.

The settlement was announced on Monday by the federal bankruptcy court in the Southern District of Indiana. USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy protection in 2018, following a deluge of lawsuits over years of Nassar’s abuse.

“This chapter is finally closed,” tweeted Rachael Denhollander, whose 2016 complaint brought Nassar’s abuses to light. “Now the hard work of reform and rebuilding can begin. Whether or not justice comes and change is made, depends on what happens next.”

This was a reference to the “restorative justice” program, which USA Gymnastics agreed to set up in addition to the payments, in order to give Nassar’s victims a say in how it deals with future allegations of sexual abuse.

Attorney Mick Grewal, who represented dozens of plaintiffs in the case, described the program as “the gold standard for every institution that has a sexual assault problem.”

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One of the largest-ever settlements in a sexual abuse case, the fund will go towards compensating victims like Olympic medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, as well as others who were abused by the gymnastics team’s former head doctor. Denhollander said many of the victims have battled depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and even suicidal tendencies in the aftermath of their abuse.

“No amount of money will ever repair the damage that has been done and what these women have been through,” she said. “But at some point, the negotiations have to end because these women need help – and they need it right now.”

While most of the settlement will be paid by insurance companies, the US Olympic and Paralympic committee will pay $34 million and give another $6 million to USA Gymnastics as a loan. Previously, the USOPC argued it could not be held liable to Nassar’s abuses, since he wasn’t their employee. The settlement will now help USOPC avoid being decertified as an Olympic organization. 

Although the FBI initially ignored complaints about Nassar, he was eventually arrested and tried for abuse of gymnasts under his care. A federal court sentenced him in 2017 to 60 years in prison on charges of possession of child sex abuse materials. The following year, he was sentenced to a combined maximum of 300 years by Michigan courts for abusing female gymnasts he treated over the years. Michigan State University, where Nassar taught and practiced between 1997 and 2016 and where much of the abuse took place, settled with survivors for $500 million in 2018.

The Premier League match between Brentford and Manchester United has been postponed after a Covid outbreak at the Old Trafford club. The decision comes as England’s top flight reported a record number of coronavirus cases.

Brentford were due to host United in west London on Tuesday night but the Premier League confirmed that the match would be rescheduled “following guidance from medical advisers due to the exceptional circumstances.”

United announced on Monday that they were temporarily shutting down first-team operations at their Carrington training base after a spate of positive tests on Sunday, just hours after they had traveled to Norwich for a Premier League game.

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“Given cancellation of training and disruption to the squad, and with the health of players and staff the priority, the Club requested the match [with Brentford] to be rearranged,” read a Manchester United statement.

“The Premier League Board took the decision to postpone based on guidance from medical advisors.”

A new date for the fixture will be announced “in due course,” the club added. The players and staff who have tested positive were not named.

Brentford, who are in their maiden season in the Premier League, apologized for the disruption to fans but said they “respect” the decision.

The postponement comes amid a record number of Covid cases in the Premier League in a one-week period.

Forty-two Premier League players and staff have tested positive for the virus in the past week – the highest number since testing began in May 2020.

Aside from United and Tottenham, other clubs to confirm cases in recent days are Leicester, Aston Villa, Norwich and Brighton.

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson rolls out new restrictions across England to combat the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus, there are fears football could face significant disruption as it approaches a traditionally busy festive period.