Khabib Nurmagomedov Compares Himself To Brazilian Ronaldo After Scoring A Goal

When he's not mauling his opponents inside a steel cage, Khabib Nurmagomedov loves playing football.

Ever since hanging up the gloves last year, the former UFC lightweight champ has been exploring his passion for the beautiful game.

And after scoring a goal during a recent kick-about with mates, Khabib made the bold call of comparing himself to World Cup-winning centre forward Ronaldo - although it was clearly tongue in cheek.

In a video posted on his social media, Khabib made a darting run forward and glided past the opposition defender with ease before slotting the ball into an empty net.

He then wagged his finger while wheeling away in celebration - a clear nod to Brazilian icon Ronaldo.

The caption of the clip read: "Who remembers the Ronaldo of 2008, put on a bit of weight but still with firepower. FC Legion Dynamo Makhachkala, I need motivation brothers."

The footage of Khabib's tidy, Ronaldo-esque finish even drew the attention of the great man himself with the Brazilian legend showing his support by commenting a number of clapping hand emojis.

I mean, praise doesn't come much better than that.

Khabib's desire to give football a red hot crack is clear for all to see, and his dreams of turning pro received a huge boost earlier this year when he got an offer from Russian third-tier side FC Kamaz.

Nothing ended up coming of it, although Khabib is still clearly keen on pursuing some sort of football career - whether that be either on or off the pitch.

"To play football on a professional level is a childhood dream," the Dagestani wrestler told Match TV.

"Of course, I have such a wish. Football is the king of sports after all...

"Spartak Moscow of course are great, but that's domestic level. My dream club is Real Madrid.

"In fact, the first match I remember watching the full 90 minutes, was Real vs Juventus in 1998 [Champions League final]. I remember Mijatovic scored from an offside position, but we still won."

Topics: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Football, Goal, Ronaldo, UFC, Australia, MMA

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry