Cristiano Ronaldo has declared his support for Russian MMA star Khabib Nurmagomedov ahead of his lightweight title defence against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
The hotly-anticipated bout, set to take place on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island on Saturday, has generated considerable interest from fight fans across the world and will see the UFC's #2 pound-for-pound fighter attempt to defend his lightweight crown.
Like many onlookers, Ronaldo has predicted a Khabib victory, with the Juventus striker giving his backing to the 32-year-old during an Instagram Live session.
"Of course, of course Khabib is going to win, my brother. Inshallah. Siuuuu," said the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, responding to a question from one of his fans.
Ronaldo is currently self-isolating in Turin following a positive coronavirus test while on international duty with Portugal last week.
The mercurial forward was forced to leave the national squad and begin a period of isolation, ruling him out of Juventus' UEFA Champions League opener against Dynamo Kyiv this evening.
He enjoys a good relationship with Khabib, who has previously visited the Santiago Bernabeu to watch him in action for Real Madrid.
The Russian holds the longest active undefeated streak in the UFC with 28 wins from as many fights.
His last bout against Dustin Poirier ended with a third-round submission to unify the UFC Lightweight Championship.
This weekend's opponent Gaethje earned his place on the card by defeating Tony Ferguson in May.
Khabib is the strong favourite going into the fight, with most bookmakers offering odds of around 3/10 for him to secure yet another career victory.
