Khabib Nurmagomedov, Courtesy: Redbubble/Pinterest (2018)

Dear Khabib,

Let me start off by congratulating you on your emphatic win against an unworthy, dishonourable opponent whom every sane person knew was unfit to share the cage with you. I’m sure I speak for many when I tell you how proud I am of you for showing the world what it means to be a warrior, and to put money where your mouth is. But it’s not the fact that you simply beat an arrogant bully. For me at least, it’s the symbolism behind it. That you gave us a world class victory against white supremacy,  racism, institutionalized hate and all that we know of Islamophobia in current times. And you did so in a world that no longer expects nor condones such triumphs against these ideas. And all along, you displayed patience and class well beyond any man’s limits really when faced with the most intense of provocations. I mean someone put whisky before you to mock and laugh at you and you politely declined? (How did you not go berserk at this?!) And repeatedly praised Allah’s name before a crowd that wanted to hear anything but. And life moved on, as if nothing happened, as you chilled out to watch the fight later in your thobe. I don’t know what it is, I guess it’s the perceived normalcy of your actions to someone who surely must have been tempted to fall by now that gets me. Your grace, humility, integrity and fairness in a sport that is hardly synonymous with this has been inspiring to watch. Let me follow it up by reiterating that I, and the people around me, are definitely no tap machines. Ahem, just to set the record straight.

We have a few things in common, Islam of course, another is our resilience in tough childhoods. We haven’t got mountains here, but the plains man, the sun, and the life underneath it’s glaring gaze –  it’s unforgivable. We’re daughters of sheep and goat herders, it’s as humble as humble gets – reminds you just who you are when you start feeling important, eh? I’m sure you can relate to that. We don’t have bears to fight here, we have our own unique devils but you know what’s sad about it, we’re just spectators at the farce that currently constitutes our lives. It’s heart-breaking. And I guess that is one of the reasons why I admire you. That you took the bit between your teeth and instead of spectating and participating like a trained pony, you taught them a lesson that everyone surely needs to learn sometime in their lives. It was exhilarating to watch such manifest bravery. And it inspires the same within me. Aren’t you a human who eats and sleeps just like me? So what stops me from doing the same?

If we ever met, we’d have a lot to chat about. I was crazy about taekwondo in high school, I hear MMA is slightly similar?…okay it’s extremely different but the principle remains the same, we smash other people and pay respect to them after we’re done. Errr, scratch the respect. It depends on the opponent, and you know what? I totally get you. I would probably do the same thing if placed in the same position. Your opponent and his ilk represent the scum of society- amoral, conscienceless and all that is base about our world now.  And you, you’re way better than that you know. Or had you forgotten? In the thickness of electrified adrenaline and revenge-fueled violence? But who are we to judge, if we had the lens of the world upon us, what would we do? I’ll be the first to accept your apology. There is no perfect success story.

And I like the fact that you want to change the game and get rid of the trash talk, your so called respect spot. I’m totally about changing the world, in whatever capacity we can, so kudos. I know a lot of us were living vicariously through you – paid entertainment it may be, I do genuinely believe that the violence was more about restoration of pride and your legacy than it was about the money. It’s the fact that you can quite literally shut up someone who talks smack about you. Can I unleash you onto my enemies? Or at least take lessons from you? The martial arts wrestling bit only mind. And purely for self -defense. Because my beloved has warned me to respect the sanctity of the face. I’m curious, what do you think of a sport whose premise is to deliberately harm another human being for entertainment? But then, who am I to judge you? You should see the demons I fight at work, I should be the very last person to judge you.

All that can never take away from the fact that you’re a fighter, a true champion. And you beat the odds that bet against you. How can I condemn you when you simply want a better life for yourself and your people? I’m sure I speak on behalf of many when I say that you’re admired here, not just regarding the mastery of your craft but also your unapologetic promotion of Islam and depth of character this post could surely not exhaust. And we wish you the very best in life as you sail forth- may it always be of pleasure to our Lord.

We have a few questions for you if you’re ever in the area… a lot really –  promotion of your art, and Islam of course, and salafi versions of you possibly in existence in Dagestan? Hmmm? Could we discuss that? Give us a ping when you have some time, yeah?

Oh, and no rematch, please?

Respectfully,

LD.