Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former mixed martial artist who fought in the UFC’s lightweight division. He held the UFC Lightweight Championship from April 2018 to March 2021, the longest reign in the division’s history. He retired with a perfect record of 29 wins and no losses. Widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters ever, he was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on 30 June 2022. Nurmagomedov is a two-time world champion in combat sambo, with a background in wrestling, judo, and sambo. At retirement, he was ranked #1 in the UFC’s men’s pound-for-pound rankings; he was removed after vacating the title in March 2021. Fight Matrix ranks him as the #1 lightweight of all time. In 2019, Forbes named him the most successful Russian athlete and also placed him first on its list of the 40 most successful Russian show business and sports personalities under 40. After retiring, he became a full-time coach and cornerman, then left the sport entirely in January 2023. He founded Eagles MMA and promotes the Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC). Throughout his career, he has been involved in controversies, including a longstanding association with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, ties to oligarchs, advocacy for increased cultural censorship, and misogynistic statements. His fight against Conor McGregor at UFC 229 was one of the sport’s most heated rivalries. After submitting McGregor, Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage and attacked McGregor’s teammates, sparking a major brawl. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended him for nine months and fined him $500,000. UFC 229 set a pay-per-view record with about 2.4 million buys. **Early life**

Nurmagomedov was born to an Avar family on 20 September 1988 in the village of Sildi, Tsumadinsky District, Dagestan ASSR, Soviet Union. He has an older brother, Magomed, and a younger sister, Amina. His father’s family moved from Sildi to Kirovaul, where his father turned the ground floor of their two-story house into a gym. Nurmagomedov grew up there with siblings and cousins. His interest in martial arts began by watching students train. As a child, he wrestled a bear at age nine. Like many Dagestani children, he started wrestling at eight under his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Abdulmanap, a decorated athlete and Soviet Army veteran, had wrestled from a young age and later trained in judo and sambo in the military. He dedicated his life to coaching youth in Dagestan, offering an alternative to the region’s Islamic extremism. In 2001, the family moved to Makhachkala, Dagestan’s capital. There, Nurmagomedov trained in wrestling from age 12 and judo from 15. He resumed combat sambo training under his father at 17. He said the switch from wrestling to judo was hard, but his father wanted him to get used to competing in a gi. Abdulmanap was a senior coach for the combat sambo national team in Dagestan, training athletes in Makhachkala. Nurmagomedov often got into street fights as a youth before focusing on MMA. He cited Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, and Ronaldo Nazário as inspirations, and named Fedor Emelianenko, Maurício Rua, and Georges St-Pierre as his favorite MMA fighters. **Mixed martial arts career**

**Early career**

Nurmagomedov made his professional MMA debut in September 2008, winning four fights in under a month. On 11 October, he won the inaugural Atrium Cup tournament by defeating three opponents in Moscow. Over the next three years, he went undefeated, finishing 11 of 12 opponents. One win was a first-round armbar submission of future Bellator title challenger Shahbulat Shamhalaev in his M-1 Global debut. A 16–0 record in regional circuits in Russia and Ukraine drew interest from the UFC. His father later said a contract dispute with ProFC led to 11 court cases over the legitimacy of Nurmagomedov’s UFC contract. After losing six and winning five, they reached an agreement, and Khabib continued his career. **Ultimate Fighting Championship**

**Early UFC fights and championship pursuits**

In late 2011, Nurmagomedov signed a six-fight deal with the UFC’s lightweight division. He made his UFC debut on 20 January 2012 at UFC on FX 1, submitting Kamal Shalorus in the third round. On 7 July 2012 at UFC 148, he defeated Gleison Tibau by unanimous decision (30–27 on all scorecards). This was his first fight training out of American Kickboxing Academy. On 19 January 2013 at UFC on FX 7, he knocked out Thiago Tavares in the first round. Tavares later tested positive for the anabolic steroid Drostanolone and received a nine-month suspension. On 25 May 2013 at UFC 160, Nurmagomedov beat Abel Trujillo by unanimous decision (30–27 on all cards).