Kate

THIS is the awkward moment UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov refused to shake the hand of CBS Sports presenter Kate Abdo.

Abdo was working for the broadcaster alongside the terrible trio of Thierry Henry, Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards for the Champions League final in Munich.

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The match ended in a record-breaking defeat as Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Inter Milan 5-0.

The quartet was joined by special guests Khabib Nurmagomedov, and streamer IShowSpeed immediately after the final whistle.

Nurmagomedov embraced each member of the crew before Abdo, 43, held out her hand in a greeting.

However, the unbeaten UFC star declined the offer by holding his hand on his chest instead, with Abdo quickly reclining it and offering an apology as she welcomed him to the show.

The reason for this is due to the 36-year-old’s religious beliefs as a devout Sunni Muslim.

In Islam, it is a forbidden to touch a member of the opposite sex that they are not related to.

A similar incident occurred back in 2020 with fellow MMA fighter Cynthia Calvillo, who revealed that Nurmagomedov refused to directly train with her.

She explained to theScore: “It’s a little bit weird because of their religion… they won’t train with women.

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“(Khabib) is still showing technique and stuff like that. So I still get to watch it.

“But it doesn’t bother me … because they’re not really being directly rude to me.”

Fans on social media praised Abdo’s response to the awkward exchange with the Dagestani native.

One user said: “Mad respect to Kate for understanding afterwards and issuing an apology.”

Another said: “Massive respect to Kate for understanding Khabib’s decision and not making a fuss of it in front of other pundits.”

A third added: “Love how Khabib respectfully declined Kate’s handshake and she respected his approach. Love that from both of them.”

Once that hurdle was cleared, Abdo asked the retired UFC fighter who he was supporting tonight, revealing he was there in support of PSG – despite him previously describing himself as a Real Madrid fan.

In another crossover that nobody would have had on their Champions League bingo card, IShowSpeed was playfully confronted by Nurmagomedov about them possibly having a race or fight.

Carragher, who hilariously tried resorting to cheating when he lost a race against Speed – real name Darren Hawkins – asked Nurmagomedov: “Do you think you could beat Speed in a fight or a race?”

Nurmagomedov said he would be humble and conceded that Speed had the better of him in running, but declared he could easily outdo him in football IQ, before joking: “Don’t forget, between us there is nobody right now.”

Abdo then suggested that Richards, ever the brunt of a few jokes on the show, was the “arm wrestling champion” of CBS.

However, before the presenter – who married boxer Malik Scott last year – could finish her sentence, the ex-England international said: “No thank you.”

Before the match itself, Abdo was subbed out of presenting duties by colleague Anita Nneka Jones, joking she had “other friends waiting for me tonight”.

As Henry, Richards and Carragher groaned, Abdo pointed at Jones and added: “Look who’s coming!”

Carra shouted “Anita!” before screaming as footage showed Abdo’s pals David Beckham and Tom Cruise hanging out the Allianz Arena.

Abdo then waved as she walked off set, adding: “Bye, bye, bye.”

Richards asked “Is it a substitution then?” – with Abdo pausing.

The former Manchester City star then guffawed as Peter Schmeichel held the fourth official’s board to announce the substitution.

Richards turned to Jones and bellowed: “Finally some real funny in the studio.”

LIAM Payne’s grieving girlfriend Kate Cassidy has shared a ‘sign’ from the tragic star.

The One Direction star died in October last year at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

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Influencer Kate, 25, had been dating Liam, 31, for two years when he died.

She had been with him in Argentina until two days before his death.

Seven months on from that tragic day, Kate has discovered a previous social media tribute to the singer, has been shared 4,444 times. 

It is very similar to the 4:44 figure adopted by Liam and Kate as their ‘angel number’ prior to his sudden death.

Drawing attention to her shares and their likeness to the angel number on Instagram, Kate, 26, said: “Hi Liam.”

In numerology, 444 is a sign that the ‘angels are with you’ and are ‘there to guide you step by step’.

The way the figures are formed means they represent stability and a reassurance that you are not alone.

Following his death, Kate added ‘444’ to her emotional tribute to her ‘angel’ boyfriend and shared a snap of a note where Liam had written the numbers. 

It showed the former One Direction band-member’s fascination with ‘angel numbers’ and ‘manifesting’.

Kate revealed that she and Payne had been ‘manifesting their lives together’ – which was heavily associated with the number 444.

Numerology expert Sunny Dawn Johnston told Glamour: ‘When you see these numbers, know deep within that the angels are speaking to you, guiding and supporting you.

‘It’s a blessing to be in such direct communication with the divine.’

Only a few days ago, heartbroken Kate shared a snap a sweet unseen snap of the singer taken before his sad death.

Although you couldn’t see their faces, Liam’s distinctive eagle tattoo could be seen on his hand.

Liam Payne’s sad death

On October 16, 2024, Liam Payne sadly died, leaving family, friends and fans devastated.

Here we take you through the biggest stories to unfold since his tragic passing:

The grieving girlfriend often posts sweet pictures of her beloved Liam, as she tries to come to terms with his death.

Just over a week ago, she shared a slew of snaps from their last holiday together.

Kate has had an incredibly tough time, following Liam’s shock death.

In March, she discussed how she was finding life and dealing with the pain of such an enormous loss.

Speaking to ITV‘s Lorraine, she said: “I’m going through this healing journey, sometimes it’s hard for me to get out of bed in the morning and something I don’t want to do.”

Kate had been staying with Liam in Argentina but flew back to America before his fatal accident.

In an interview with The Sun last month she revealed his death “still doesn’t feel fully real”.

She added: “Love is so optimistic, and you just hope that everything will work out at the end.

“Obviously if I knew, if I could see into the future, I would never have left Argentina.”

You can read Kate’s full interview with The Sun right here.

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