Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was geeking out after the the Sharks game, and not just because his team ended a 25-year streak of rego futility in San Jose. UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov visited the Caps locker room after the game.
Ovechkin presented the number-two contender in the UFC Lightweight division with a customized number-one Stadium Series jersey.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, Tom Wilson, and Ovechkin all signed the back.
“It was great to shake the hand of a champion!” Ovechkin wrote on Instagram as translated by Graham Dumas. “You’re the greatest! Good luck, @khabib_nurmagomedov!”
According to Wikipedia, Nurmagomedov is an undefeated Russian mixed martial artist who is a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion. Nurmagomedov currently holds one of the longest undefeated streaks in MMA with 25 wins.
The Russian martial artist will fight Tony Ferguson for the full 155-pound title on Saturday, April 7 in Brooklyn, New York. According to Dana White, reigning champion Conor McGregor will no longer be the champion once the cage door is locked.
Tom Wilson and his broken nose also took a photo with the fighter.
This is the second time this week Ovechkin has met a prized fighter. The Caps Russians also took a photo with Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev in Los Angeles. Kovalev and Kuznetsov are both from Chelyabinsk, Russia.
