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Football

15th Aug 2017

It would be very unwise to mess with Neymar’s new bodyguard

The man's a monster

Ben Kiely

Neymar

After becoming the most expensive footballer in history, Neymar has made sure he is protected accordingly.

Paris Saint-Germain made history by triggering Neymar’s €222m release clause to sign the Brazilian megastar from Barcelona last week. The landmark deal also sees Neymar become one of the world’s highest-paid players, earning a reported €30m per annum after tax.

Not long after putting pen to paper on his new contract, the sharpshooter was spotted with some new muscle in the French capital that combat sports fans may recognise.

The photos that have been doing the rounds seem to suggest that he has enlisted the help of UFC welterweight Nordine Taleb to be his personal bodyguard.

Tri-Star’s Taleb signed for the UFC through the Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs Australia season, otherwise known as the season of the reality TV series that you would be forgiven for not watching. While some great talents came through the tournament, the gimmick of pitting two countries with no real rivalry against each other did not exactly grab the attention of the masses.

79% of Australians viewed Canada positively, while only 7% expressed a negative view of the country, according to a 2013 BBC World Service Poll… beef!

Taleb currently competes for the UFC where he is 5-2 (13-4 MMA) and coming off a unanimous decision win over Oliver Enkamp. His highlight inside the Octagon was undoubtedly his one-punch knockout over Neymar’s compatriot Erick Silva at UFC 196.

Neymar

Yeah, so he’s not to be fucked with.