Search icon

MMA

28th Oct 2018

UFC fighter hired to be Neymar’s bodyguard stopped in second round at UFC Moncton

Nordine Taleb protested the stoppage

Darragh Murphy

Neymar looked to the UFC when the time came to further boost his protection after his move to Paris Saint-Germain.

UFC welterweight Nordine Taleb was reportedly hired by Neymar last August to be his bodyguard following the Brazilian’s €222 million switch from Barcelona.

It’s unknown how hands-on Taleb is with Neymar but a report in the Independent claimed that the 170lber planned to juggle his bodyguard duties with his job as an active mixed martial arts fighter.

Taleb has since gone 1-2 in the UFC and for the first time in his career, suffered consecutive defeats when he was stopped by Sean Strickland on Saturday night.

An onslaught from Strickland forced Taleb to his back at the midway point of the second round and the right hands kept coming before the Frenchman was finished.

The stoppage was a tad early for Taleb’s liking and he complained immediately to referee Eric Nevitt, both in the Octagon and on social media.

Taleb is now 14-6 as a professional and 6-4 in the UFC but at the age of 37, his days at fighting at the elite level are surely numbered.

At least there’s no shortage of money coming from Neymar, who remains one of the best paid players in world football.