MOSCOW • Mixed martial arts (MMA) star Khabib Nurmagomedov has appealed to residents of his native Dagestan to follow lockdown rules after his father was put on a ventilator because of the coronavirus.

The undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion took to Instagram to urge people in the southern Russian region to be "disciplined" and to "listen to our doctors" as the country struggles to deal with the pandemic.

Russia has, in recent weeks, become the second-worst hit country in the world in terms of cases, with over 308,000 infected people and 2,900 deaths as of yesterday.

Nurmagomedov enjoys celebrity status in Dagestan, where the Covid-19 situation has been described as a "catastrophe" by officials, forcing Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene.

The government has promised to send additional equipment to the hotspot, where over 600 people have died, according to officials.

Nurmagomedov told his 20 million followers in a video that doctors are "pleading" for people to stay at home, even as the Muslim-majority region gears up to celebrate the end of Ramadan this weekend.

The 31-year-old said: "It's a very difficult situation. I personally have over 20 relatives... who were in intensive care. Many of them are not with us anymore. Many of my acquaintances are dead."

He also revealed his father, Abdulmanap, was in a "very serious condition", adding: "On top of this virus, he started having heart problems."

ESPN reported on Tuesday night that the 57-year-old, who trained Nurmagomedov in MMA, had been put into a medically-induced coma at a Moscow hospital.

Mr Putin has promised that Nurmagomedov Sr will "receive the best medical treatment available", while UFC president Dana White and long-time rival Conor McGregor have been among those offering their well wishes.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE