Russian tax authorities freeze former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s accounts, again

Russia’s Federal Tax Service has once again frozen the bank accounts of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, citing his failure to submit a tax declaration within the legally mandated time frame.

According to the state-run media outlet RIA Novosti Sport, the accounts were blocked due to ‘the failure of the taxpayer organisation to submit a tax declaration to the tax authority within twenty days after the deadline’.

This marks the second such incident involving Nurmagomedov in the past two years.

In 2024, the Federal Tax Service (FTS) froze his accounts due to outstanding tax payments, penalties, and fines. At the time, the Telegram channel Mash reported a total tax debt of ₽302 million ($3.2 million). In addition to the account freezes, court bailiffs seized assets belonging to the athlete worth ₽79 million ($850,000). That debt was later settled, and enforcement proceedings were closed.

Financial issues have also affected several organisations linked to Nurmagomedov. Among them are his MMA promotional company Eagle FC, his charitable foundation, and the now-defunct travel agency Hikmet Travel, which was shut down in 2022 after the FTS found discrepancies in its official paperwork.

In November 2024, reports also emerged about the freezing of accounts belonging to two other companies associated with Nurmagomedov — the Football Ball Museum and the Foundation for the Development of Education, Sport, and Social Initiatives. As of Wednesday, the FTS has not commented on the current status of these freezes or how long the restrictions may remain in place.

Meanwhile, Russian state media reported that Nurmagomedov recently completed a major sports infrastructure project in his home region. According to the state-run news outlet TASS, Nurmagomedov invested nearly ₽500 million ($5.4 million) in the construction of a high-altitude training facility in the mountains of Daghestan. The complex, located over 1,000 metres above sea level, includes a combat sports hall, general fitness areas, a medical unit, and a residential facility for athletes and coaches.

‘The base is finished and is fully operational. Our team has already started training there. As far as I know, it’s fully booked until the end of the summer’, Nurmagomedov’s manager Rizvan Magomedov told TASS.

The project was reportedly implemented in cooperation with local Daghestani authorities. Nurmagomedov himself has not yet publicly commented on the facility, but he has previously stated that he wants to ‘develop sport in [his] native region’ and ‘give young people opportunities to grow’.

Nurmagomedov, 36, retired from professional mixed martial arts in October 2020 after defeating American Justin Gaethje in the second round at UFC 254. He left the sport undefeated with a record of 29 wins — the first fighter in UFC lightweight history to retire with a perfect record.

In April 2018, he captured the UFC lightweight title by defeating American Al Iaquinta. His most famous fight came later that year, when he beat Irish star Conor McGregor — a bout that generated over $200 million in revenue, the highest in MMA history.

Following his retirement, Nurmagomedov shifted focus to business and coaching. In 2021, he was named Fighter of the Year by ESPN’s ESPY Awards, and in 2022, he became the first Russian to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

As of publication, neither Nurmagomedov nor his representatives have commented on the latest account freezes. It is also unclear whether he intends to appeal the tax authority’s actions or submit the required declarations retroactively.