Khabib Nurmagomedov gets into the fight promotion business

From the looks of it, undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is getting involved in the fight promotion business.

The lightweight champion’s name and logo were featured on the official poster for the upcoming GFC 13 card in Dagestan.

ESPN reporter Brett Okamoto subsequently verified with Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz that the champ will indeed have a hand in promoting this card.

Khabib Nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) is getting into the promotion business. He’s involved with a card in July, per his manager Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00). Check out the logo on the bottom left. pic.twitter.com/CgMajgps2Z

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) May 23, 2019

“Khabib Nurmagomedov is getting into the promotion business,” Okamoto confirmed. “He’s involved with a card in July, per his manager Ali Abdelaziz . Check out the logo on the bottom left.”

GFC 13 goes down in Dagestan on July 13, and will also involve Gorilla Energy Drink, a company that sponsors the UFC lightweight champion. The card will feature some notable talent such as  Shamil Zavurov, Timur Valiev, Saygid Izagakhmaev and Umar Nurmagomedov (h/t Marcel Dorff). Khabib Nurmagomedov will almost certainly be in attendance for the event.

At present, Nurmagomedov is expected to defend his title opposite interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 242, which is scheduled for September 7 in Abu Dhabi.

That being said, the bout is not yet official.

“Everything is pointing to it happening in Abu Dhabi, September 7, me and Khabib,” Poirier told MMA Junkie recently. “I’m not sure what the holdup is or what’s going on. I have no clue.”

While the bout hasn’t yet been made official, Khabib Nurmagomedov teammates Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov recently had their suspensions reduced by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which should expedite the negotiations for this bout.

Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov has what it takes to be a fight promoter?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 5/24/2019.