A world famous UFC fighter who wrestled a bear as a child is heading to Harrogate for a charity event.
Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov, who has 30 million followers on Instagram, is attending just two events in the UK: one in London and the other in Harrogate.
The Harrogate event will take place at the Harrogate Convention Centre on Sunday, October 3.
Rather than stepping into a ring, the retired fighter will instead talk about his journey from a small village in the mountains of Russia to international fame.
Nurmagomedov is the longest reigning UFC lightweight champion, having held the title from April 2018 to March 2021.
With 29 wins and no losses in his mixed martial arts career, he retired undefeated after beating the likes of Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier
Read more:
- Fraudsters offering £200 to fix TVs following Bilsdale fire
- Vintage tractors on show in Ripon next weekend
All the money raised from the Harrogate event will go towards Muslim charity SKT Welfare to help orphans around the world.
Tickets for the event range from £25 for a standard ticket to £250 for the front row. However, front row seats have already sold out.
Anyone buying a ticket will be entered into a competition to attend a meet and greet with Nurmagomedov.
Ex-UFC fighter opens mixed martial arts gym in Harrogate
Former UFC fighter Ian Entwistle has started teaching mixed martial arts at Harrogate Amateur Boxing Club in Starbeck.
Entwistle had three fights with the UFC between 2014 and 2016. He fought in New Zealand, the United States and Croatia and his first round submission victory in America earned a performance of the night bonus.
He retired after he left the UFC but made a comeback in Bahrain last year with Brave Combat Federation, a Middle East promotion.
He has also fought on Cage Warriors, which is the biggest MMA promotion in Europe, and coached in Thailand and Australia.
Weighing in under the gaze of UFC boss Dana White (left).
Entwistle, who was born in Accrington, told the Stray Ferret his sister lived in Harrogate and he was in the process of relocating here.
Read more:
- Knaresborough Thai boxer returns to the ring with a win
- Harrogate boxing and martial arts gym fighting for survival
He will run classes five days a week that include wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and Muay Thai, as well as one-to-one private sessions.
Anyone from the age of 14 upwards can attend.
He said:
“I am keen to work with students of all levels whether they are a beginner or a professional and help them achieve the success they seek.”
Classes times are:
Tuesdays 6-7pm
Thursdays 6-7pm
Fridays 5-6pm
Saturdays 10:30am-12pm
Sundays 10:30am-12pm