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Khabib Nurmagomedov

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Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov is a retired professional mixed martial artist from Russia.

He competed primarily in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Nurmagomedov is celebrated as one of the greatest mixed martial artists in history. He held the UFC Lightweight Championship for a record-breaking duration from April 2018 to March 2021. Most notably, he retired with a perfect professional record of 29 wins and zero losses. On June 30, 2022, his massive impact on the sport led to his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame.

His fighting style was built on a deep foundation of multiple disciplines. He was a two-time world champion in combat sambo, a Russian martial art.

Khabib Nurmagomedov 2
Khabib Nurmagomedov 2

His skills included wrestling, judo, and sambo. He began wrestling at the age of eight under his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. His father was a decorated athlete and a veteran of the Soviet Army. Abdulmanap also trained in judo and sambo during his military service. He later became a senior coach for the combat sambo national team in the Republic of Dagestan.

Nurmagomedov's upbringing in Dagestan shaped his path toward professional combat. He was born in 1988 in the village of Sildi. His father converted the ground floor of their family building into a gym. Khabib grew up watching students train in that gym. Training was intense and varied from a very young age. At nine years old, he famously practiced wrestling with a bear. In 2001, his family moved to Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan. There, he focused on wrestling at age 12 and judo at age 15. His father encouraged him to learn judo to get used to competing in a gi, which is a traditional heavy jacket.

His professional career began in September 2008. He quickly gained momentum by winning four fights in less than a month. He also became the inaugural Atrium Cup tournament champion in Moscow. After building a 16–0 record in regional circuits, he signed with the UFC in late 2011. His UFC career was marked by dominance through various techniques. He won several fights via submission, which is a way to end a fight by applying holds. He also won matches via knockout (KO) and unanimous decision. In one match against Abel Trujillo, he set a UFC record with 21 successful takedowns out of 28 attempts.

Nurmagomedov reached the pinnacle of his sport by winning the lightweight title.

Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov, left, congratulated Khabib Nurmagomedov on winning the UFC Championship
Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov, left, congratulated Khabib Nurmagomedov on winning the UFC Championship

His championship victory came against Al Iaquinta in April 2018. The fight was decided by unanimous decision with scores of 50–44, 50–43, and 50–43. One of his most significant moments was his fight against Conor McGregor at UFC 229. This event was a massive cultural moment, drawing 2.4 million pay-per-view buys. This remains the highest number ever for a mixed martial arts event. Following that victory, his 27-fight win streak became the longest in UFC history.

After his championship win, Nurmagomedov experienced significant public attention and controversy.

Встреча с российским борцом Хабибом Нурмагомедовым
Встреча с российским борцом Хабибом Нурмагомедовым

Following the McGregor fight, a scuffle broke out involving team members in the octagon. This incident occurred after Nurmagomedov charged at McGregor's cornerman, Dillon Danis. Despite the intensity of his career, Nurmagomedov remained highly ranked. At the time of his retirement in March 2021, he was ranked #1 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. Fight Matrix also ranks him as the #1 lightweight of all time.

Beyond the octagon, Nurmagomedov has transitioned into leadership and business roles. He is a mixed martial arts trainer and a promoter. He founded Eagles MMA and promotes the Eagle Fighting Championship (EFC). His success has been recognized by major publications. In 2019, Forbes ranked him as the number one most successful Russian athlete. He also appeared on a list of the 40 most successful Russian personalities under 40. He eventually retired from all professional sports activities in January 2023.

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🖼️ Images & Media (4)
File:Нурмагомедовы.png
Нурмагомедовы.png
File:Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov, left, congratulated Khabib Nurmagomedov on winning the UFC Championship.jpg
Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov, left,...
File:Встреча с российским борцом Хабибом Нурмагомедовым.jpg
Встреча с российским борцом Хабибом...
File:Khabib Nurmagomedov 2.png
Khabib Nurmagomedov 2.png
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