Gregory Robinson
Fans are just now starting to notice IShowSpeed's reaction to the encounter between UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and CBS presenter Kate Abdo.
On Sunday (June 1), Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan played against each other in the Champions League Final at the Allianz Arena in Munich, with Paris Saint-Germain finishing as the winners with a final score of 5-0.
One moment outside of the game which caught the attention of viewers happened when Nurmagomedov appeared to snub Abdo’s handshake. This is despite Nurmagomedov having shaken the hands of others moments before, including IShowSpeed’s.
Abdo was working the event alongside the likes of Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards.
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Nurmagomedov - a former professional mixed martial artist who was the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion ever from April 2018 to March 2021 - appeared as a special guest and embraced the other men alongside shaking hands. Nurmagomedov declined the handshake from Abdo, holding his hand to his chest instead.
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Abdo immediately took back her hand and apologised before welcoming him on the show.
When Nurmagomedov appeared to reject the handshake, the YouTuber looked off to the side with a shocked facial expression and his tongue sticking out. It’s fair to say that the handshake moment didn’t go unnoticed by him.
Days after the encounter happened, a clip focusing on the content creator’s reaction has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter). “Bro I’m dead,” one viewer replied.
Meanwhile, another person shared: “This caught me off guard.”
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And amongst the laughing-while-crying emojis left under the clip, a confused social media user asked: “WTF is Speed doing there in the first place."
Nurmagomedov is a devout Sunni Muslim. And within the religion, it is forbidden in Islamic law for followers to touch a member of the opposite sex who they're not related to.
Both Abdo and Nurmagomedov have been praised for their 'respectful' handling of the moment. One Twitter user said: "Mad respect to Kate for understanding afterwards and issuing an apology."
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"They both handled that very well and quickly," a Redditor said.
A third added: "It is out of respect. Notice how he holds his hand to his heart; this is a greeting in itself."
And a final resolved: "This was the most respectful exchange."
It comes after Nurmagomedov refused to directly train with former UFC fighter Cynthia Calvillo in 2020.
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He agreed to demonstrate certain fight techniques but wouldn't come into direct contact with her on the same basis.