One dish at the restaurant kept the former UFC champion coming back three nights on the trot
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Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov with Akasya owner Yunus Emre Uğur
Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov with Akasya owner Yunus Emre Uğur
Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was spotted at a Bold Street kebab restaurant while visiting the city this week. The ex-fighter, who retired from the Octagon in 2020, visited Akasya restaurant three nights in a row during his visit to Liverpool - and it seems one dish kept him coming back to the restaurant again and again.
Akasya was recently shortlisted for best kebab restaurant (regional) at the British Kebab Awards and previously attained the rank of one of the top 10% of restaurants in the world on Tripadvisor. The Bold Street venue opened in the summer of 2021, offering guests contemporary Turkish cuisine, including adana, beyti and specials.
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Akasya owner Yunus Emre Uğur, 33, told the ECHO that the former UFC champion visited Akasya on Sunday, March 9, Monday, March 10, and Wednesday, March 12 - interrupting his streak of dining at the restaurant only to attend the Liverpool FC v PSG Champions League fixture at Anfield on Tuesday, March 11.
Yunus told the ECHO: "He said loved the food. He seems like a really nice guy - I had a bit of a chat with him and he said he came to Liverpool for a meeting and then went to watch the Liverpool game.
"He said he liked the food, it's one of the best Turkish meals he ever had. He came with his friends three times for iftar [the meal when Muslims break their fast during Ramadan at sunset].
"He came three times - they had a mixed grill the first two days and then some salads and mezze and stuff and the third day they had the chicken shish and then his friend had Akasya Royal, which is lamb ribs.
"He said he liked it and asked for desserts that we brought for him, like some baklava. He said if he comes back to Liverpool it's his favourite place to eat."
Nurmagomedov delivered a simple four-word message on social media having watched Liverpool's penalty shootout defeat to PSG in the Champions League at Anfield. He was spotted at the match on Tuesday night which saw Liverpool bow out of the last 16 of the Champions League after losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
It wasn't the first time Nurmagomedov has taken in a game between the Reds and PSG. The Dagestani fighter watched the two sides do battle in the Champions League back in 2018.
For his recent trip to Anfield, he sat with former PSG player and current Everton midfielder, Idrissa Gueye. Nurmagomedov - who donned a PSG jacked for the game - gave an honest verdict after watching Liverpool dumped out of the competition.
Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov with Akasya owner Yunus Emre Uğur
Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov with Akasya owner Yunus Emre Uğur
"PSG did (an) amazing job," he posted on Instagram, captioning various videos and pictures from inside Anfield and around Liverpool at various locations such as Albert Dock.
Set over two floors with 300 covers, Akasya is based around contemporary Turkish cuisine.