Russian Bellator fighter Alexander Shabliy criticized blogger Danya Milokhin for challenging his brother Khabib Nurmagomedov to a fight. His remarks were shared as key statements in Metatations.
“Complete nonsense. The person is likely unwell and incompetent. By reacting to such statements, we drive traffic to his social networks and similar platforms. True professionals who compete at the highest level should not respond to this kind of noise. We are engaged in the art of combat at the peak of the sport, so engaging with it would be inappropriate,” Shabliy asserted, making his stance plain and decisive.
In September, Milokhin had indicated an interest in fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov’s brother, though he did not name the fighter involved. The provocative remark sparked immediate attention within the MMA community and among followers who track celebrity crossovers and potential matchups in the sport.
Milokhin’s comments followed a period in which he traveled and spoke publicly about his ambitions. After spending an extended time in Dubai, he returned to Moscow on September 8, 2023. Subsequently, Ekaterina Mizulina, who leads the Safe Internet League, shared a Telegram post calling on the top echelon of the Russian Defense Ministry to consider enlisting the popular social media figure in the armed forces. A few days later, Milokhin reportedly left Russia for the United Arab Emirates on September 11, a move that added further layers to the ongoing media narrative.
Meanwhile, Usman Nurmagomedov had previously declined to shake hands with an American opponent during a Bellator tournament, underscoring some of the broader tensions and private codes of conduct that frequently surface within mixed martial arts competitions and public exchanges among fighters and their circles.