What's new at Ludus Martial Arts
We’re so proud of our team! Find out how they’ve been doing, as well as what else has been going on at our gym lately.
Timur Khizriev: Dagestan-Dublin rivalry doesn’t exist outside Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor
CHICAGO – Timur Khizriev will fight an Irishman Friday at Bellator 297, but there’s nothing but respect.
Though one of the most volatile rivalries in MMA history, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor, was between a Dagestani and Irishman, Khizriev (12-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) thinks the bad feelings are limited to those individuals.
“To be honest, you’ve caught me off guard. I hadn’t even thought of such a thing that Dagestan vs. Ireland. I think it’s just a coincidence. Obviously with Conor and Khabib, those are big names. For me, it doesn’t really matter. I know they have a lot of great fighters in Ireland, but I don’t see it as a rivalry necessarily.”
Khizriev, 27, takes on former UFC fighter Richie Smullen (10-2-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA) in a preliminary featherweight bout at Winstar Arena. It’s all respect.
“I have nothing against this opponent,” Khizriev said. “I’ve checked him. He’s pretty good. I pretty much prepare myself every time the same way, no matter who the opponent is. Man, I just believe God’s will. Whatever is going to be is going to be.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 297.
come and try a ludus mma class free!
We want to make sure that Ludus MMA is the right fit for you before asking you to commit to a membership.
That’s why we’d like to offer you a FREE ONE-DAY PASS to our gym.
With your FREE PASS, you can:
- Try as many classes as you’d like,
- Explore the facility
- Talk to our coaches one-on-one about what you can expect as a member