LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 05: UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov poses for the media during the UFC seasonal press conference at T-Mobile Arena on July 5, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Is UFC champion Nurmagomedov 'new face' of Russian soft power in Mideast?

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 05: UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov poses for the media during the UFC seasonal press conference at T-Mobile Arena on July 5, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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