Why do you like him so much?

U.S. President Donald Trump’s admiration for UFC stars is no secret, and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s former manager claims to know exactly who his favorites are.

During a recent appearance on The Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo, Dominance MMA CEO Ali Abdelaziz claimed that Nurmagomedov and reigning UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje are two of the U.S. President’s favorite fighters.

Gaethje recently visited the White House with his family to celebrate his UFC Freedom 250 victory with Trump. Reflecting on the visit, Abdelaziz said:

“Trump sat down with him and spoke with him for three hours. And the way I saw The President of the United States speak to Justin Gaethje, I was bugging the hell out. He admired this man. He respected this man.”

Abdelaziz added:

“The President of the United States loves two fighters more than everybody else. Justin Gaethje and Khabib. He is the biggest Khabib fan. I was like, ‘Why do you like him so much?’ He said, ‘I put him in my book.'”

Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov’s former manager Ali Abdelaziz’s comments below:

Furthermore, the MMA manager claimed that Gaethje and the POTUS have become friends, particularly after ‘The Highlight’s’ performance at UFC Freedom 250.

For context, Gaethje forced former lightweight champion Ilia Topuria to retire on the stool during their fight, ensuring an American emerged victorious in the headlining bout of the event, which was held as part of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebrations.

When Joe Rogan and Donald Trump discussed Khabib Nurmagomedov’s GOAT status

When Joe Rogan hosted Donald Trump on episode #2219 of the JRE, the conversation eventually turned to one of their shared passions: MMA. At one point, the then-presidential candidate asked Rogan who he considered the greatest MMA fighter of all time.

Rather than naming a single fighter, the longtime UFC commentator listed several legends, including Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson, Georges St-Pierre, and others. Trump quickly interjected, asking what he thought about Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Rogan said:

“Khabib is fantastic, but if you looked at accomplishments in terms of championship fights, Khabib retired 29-0, but he didn’t have as many world championship fights.” [0:40 mark of the interview]