Former world boxing champion, State Duma deputy Nikolai Valuev responded to the proposal to award the title of Hero of Russia to UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. His words are quoted by Komsomolskaya Pravda.
Valuev drew attention to the fact that this award is given for other merits, and Nurmagomedov could soon become the Hero of Labor. “When it comes to rewarding with a state award, we need mostly applications from people, any public organizations. But it’s not about the Hero of Russia, ”he said.
On November 4, State Duma deputy Gadzhimurad Omarov made a proposal to award Nurmagomedov the title of Hero of Russia. He called the athlete a worthy role model for the younger generation.
After that, the three-time Olympic champion and State Duma deputy Irina Rodnina criticized this initiative. MMA fighter Alexander Shlemenko and former Russian boxer Konstantin Tszyu agreed with her.
On October 24, Nurmagomedov defeated American Justin Gage at the UFC tournament, holding the promoted lightweight belt. After the fight, he announced his retirement from the sport. Nurmagomedov is ranked first in the ranking of the best fighters in the UFC, excluding weight categories, having won 29 fights out of 29.
