A two-time world champion incombat sambo, Nurmagomedov has a background inwrestling,judo, andsambo. Nurmagomedov was ranked #1 in theUFC men's pound-for-pound rankings at the time of his retirement,[11] until being removed following his title vacation in March 2021.[12]Fight Matrix ranks him as the #1 lightweight of all time.[13] In 2019,Forbes ranked Nurmagomedov as the No. 1 most successful Russian athlete; Nurmagomedov also topped the list of the 40 most successful Russian show business and sports personalities under 40.[14][15]
Nurmagomedov is also a mixed martial arts trainer andpromoter, known for foundingEagles MMA and promoting theEagle Fighting Championship (EFC). After retirement, he transitioned to being a full-time coach andcornerman before retiring from the sport completely in January 2023.[3][16][17] Throughout his career, Nurmagomedov has become the subject of many controversies, including a longstanding affiliation with Chechnya's leader,Ramzan Kadyrov, questionable affiliations with oligarchs, advocacy for increased culturalcensorship andmisogynism.[18]
Early life
Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov was born to anAvar family on 20 September 1988 in the village ofSildi in theTsumadinsky District of theDagestan ASSR, an autonomous republic within theRussian SFSR,Soviet Union.[19][20][21] He has an older brother, Magomed, and younger sister, Amina.[22] His father's family had moved from Sildi toKirovaul, where his father converted the ground floor of their two-story building into a gym. Nurmagomedov grew up in the household with his siblings and cousins.[22] His interest in martial arts began when watching students training at the gym.[23][24] Khabib's training as a child included wrestling abear when he was nine years old.[25][26]
As is common with many children inDagestan, he began wrestling from an early age: he started at the age of eight under the tutelage of his father,Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.[27] A decorated athlete and a veteran of theSoviet Army, Abdulmanap had also wrestled from an early age, before undergoing training injudo andsambo in the military.[28] Abdulmanap dedicated his life to coaching the youth in Dagestan, in hopes of offering an alternative to theIslamic extremism common to the region.[29][18]
In 2001, his family moved toMakhachkala, the capital of Dagestan,[30] where he trained in wrestling from the age of 12, and judo from 15. He resumed training in combat sambo, under his father, at 17.[31] According to Nurmagomedov, the transition from wrestling to judo was difficult, but his father wanted him to get used to competing in agi jacket.[19] Abdulmanap was a senior coach for the combat sambo national team in the Republic of Dagestan, training several athletes in sambo in Makhachkala, Russia.[28] Nurmagomedov frequently got into street fights in his youth, before focusing his attention on mixed martial arts.[32] Khabib said that, along with his father, three athletes who inspired him were the American boxersMuhammad Ali andMike Tyson and the Brazilian footballerRonaldo Nazário.[33] He describedFedor Emelianenko,Maurício Rua, andGeorges St-Pierre as his favorite MMA fighters at the time.[34]
Mixed martial arts career
Early career
Nurmagomedov made his professionalMMA debut in September 2008, compiling four wins in under a month. On 11 October, he became the inaugural Atrium Cup tournament champion, having defeated his three opponents at theMoscow event. Over the next three years, he went undefeated, finishing 11 out of 12 opponents. These included a first-round armbar finish of futureBellator title challengerShahbulat Shamhalaev, which marked hisM-1 Global debut.
A 16–0 record in the regional circuits of Russia and Ukraine generated interest from theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in signing Nurmagomedov.[35][36] Later, Nurmagomedov's father revealed in an interview that due to a contract dispute with ProFC they had 11 court cases contesting the legitimacy of Nurmagomedov's UFC contract. After losing six and winning five cases, they reached an agreement and Khabib was able to continue his career.[37]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Early UFC fights and championship pursuits
In late 2011, Nurmagomedov signed a six-fight deal to compete in the UFC's lightweight division.[38]
In his UFC debut, on 20 January 2012, atUFC on FX 1, Nurmagomedov defeatedKamal Shalorus via submission in the third round.[39]
Nurmagomedov next defeatedGleison Tibau on 7 July 2012, atUFC 148 via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 30–27.[40] This victory marked the first fight for which he had trained out of theAmerican Kickboxing Academy.[41][42]
Nurmagomedov's next fight was againstThiago Tavares on 19 January 2013 atUFC on FX 7.[43] He won via KO in the first round. After the fight, Tavares tested positive forDrostanolone, an anabolic steroid, and received a nine-month suspension.[44]
Nurmagomedov defeatedAbel Trujillo on 25 May 2013, atUFC 160 via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 30–27. At the weigh-ins, Nurmagomedov came in over the permitted limit, weighing in at 158.5 lb. He was given two hours to cut to the lightweight maximum of 156 pounds but elected instead to surrender a percentage of his fight purse to Trujillo and the bout was contested at a catchweight.[45] In the course of the fight, Nurmagomedov set a new UFC record for the most takedowns in a single fight, with 21 successful takedowns out of 28 attempts.[46]
In his fifth UFC fight, on 21 September 2013 atUFC 165, Nurmagomedov facedPat Healy.[47] He dominated the fight and won via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring the fight 30–27. Attending his first post-event press conference, UFC presidentDana White praised the relative newcomer stating, "That slam, when he just scoops him up and slams him,Matt Hughes style. That reminded me of the old Matt Hughes where he would run a guy across the Octagon and slam him. The kid is exciting. We’re probably going to do big things with this kid."[48]
In December, Nurmagomedov challengedGilbert Melendez on social media, with the two then expected to face off atUFC 170 on 22 February 2014.[49] However, the bout was cancelled for undisclosed reasons,[50] and Melendez was replaced by Nate Diaz. However, the match-up was cancelled as Diaz turned the bout down.[51] Nurmagomedov expressed his disappointment, appearing onThe MMA Hour, "If they say that they're willing to fight the best, they should fight the best. If they want, I'll take them both at once in the cage."[52]
Nurmagomedov was briefly linked to a bout withDonald Cerrone on 27 September 2014 atUFC 178.[55] However, the pairing was quickly scrapped after it was revealed that Nurmagomedov had suffered a knee injury.[56] He was later expected to face Cerrone on 23 May 2015, atUFC 187.[57] However, Nurmagomedov pulled out of the bout on 30 April due to a recurring knee injury and was replaced byJohn Makdessi.[58]
The bout with Ferguson was rescheduled for 16 April 2016 atUFC on Fox 19.[61] However, on 5 April, Ferguson pulled out of the bout due to a lung issue.[62] Ferguson was replaced by promotional newcomerDarrell Horcher at a catchweight of 160 lb.[63] Nurmagomedov won the one-sided fight by TKO in the second round.[64]
In September, Nurmagomedov signed two contracts for a title shot against the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion,Eddie Alvarez, on either theUFC 205 or theUFC 206 fight card, with Dana White confirming the bout for UFC 205.[65][66] However, on 26 September, the UFC announced that Alvarez would instead be defending the title againstConor McGregor.[67] Nurmagomedov voiced his displeasure on social media, calling Alvarez a "bullshit champ" for refusing the fight and opting for a bout with McGregor instead,[68] accusing the UFC of being a "freak show".[69]
In lieu of a title shot, Nurmagomedov next facedMichael Johnson on 12 November 2016 atUFC 205.[70] Nurmagomedov dominated the fight and was heard telling Dana White to give him a title shot as he mauled Johnson, winning via submission in the third round.[71]
The bout with Ferguson was scheduled for a third time atUFC 209 on 4 March 2017 for the interim Lightweight Championship.[72] Nurmagomedov, however, fell ill because of a botchedweight cut, and the bout was cancelled as a result.[73][74]
Nurmagomedov facedEdson Barboza on 30 December 2017 atUFC 219.[75] Nurmagomedov dominated all three rounds, taking Barboza down repeatedly and dominating the fight with ground and pound. He won the fight by unanimous decision, with scores of 30–25, 30–25 and 30–24.[76] This win also earned him his firstPerformance of the Night bonus.[77]
A bout with Ferguson had been scheduled for the fourth time and was expected to take place on 7 April 2018 atUFC 223.[78] However, on 1 April 2018, it was reported that Ferguson had injured his knee and was to be replaced byMax Holloway.[79][80] On 6 April, Holloway was pulled from the fight after theNew York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) declared him unfit to compete due to extreme weight cutting, and replaced byAl Iaquinta. Iaquinta's inclusion in the fight was controversial: the UFC's first choice to replace Holloway,Anthony Pettis, weighed in 0.2 pounds over the championship limit of 155 pounds and did not choose to re-weigh, and its second choice,Paul Felder, was rejected by NYSAC because he was not in the UFC's rankings at the time of the fight. Only Nurmagomedov was eligible to win the championship, as Iaquinta also weighed in 0.2 pounds over the championship weight limit.[81] Nurmagomedov dominated the fight and won via unanimous decision, with scores of 50–44, 50–43 and 50–43, and became theUFC Lightweight Champion.[82]
Nurmagomedov and his father meeting Russian PresidentVladimir Putin four days after his win against McGregor
On Friday, 3 August 2018, the UFC announced that Nurmagomedov would make his first defence of his lightweight title againstConor McGregor atUFC 229 on October 6 inLas Vegas.[83] In the fight, Nurmagomedov won the first two rounds, but lost the third round to McGregor. It was the first time Nurmagomedov lost a round in his UFC career.[84][85] He managed to defeat McGregor in the fourth round viasubmission.[86] After the contest, Nurmagomedov scaled the Octagon and tried to attack McGregor's teammate Dillon Danis, which resulted in a brawl between the two teams.[87] After the bout against the Irishman, Khabib improved his record to 27–0 which was then the longest win streak in UFC history. The event drew 2.4 millionpay-per-view buys, the most ever for an MMA event.[88]
Incident at UFC 229
On 6 October 2018, following his victory over Conor McGregor atUFC 229, Nurmagomedov jumped over the octagon fence and charged at McGregor's cornerman,Dillon Danis. Danis had reportedly shouted insults at Nurmagomedov.[89] Soon afterwards, McGregor andAbubakar Nurmagomedov, Khabib's cousin, attempted to exit the octagon, but a scuffle broke out between them after McGregor punched Abubakar, who then punched him back.[90][91] McGregor was then attacked from behind inside the octagon by two of Nurmagomedov's cornermen,Zubaira Tukhugov and Esed Emiragaev.[92] Tukhugov, aChechen fighter, was scheduled to fight on 27 October 2018 atUFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith againstArtem Lobov, the McGregor team member who was confronted by Nurmagomedov in April 2018. Tukhugov was removed from the card on 17 October.[93]
Nurmagomedov's payment for the fight was withheld by theNevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) as a result, pending an investigation into his actions. He appeared at the post-fight interview and apologized to the NSAC, saying he was provoked by McGregor'strash talk and theUFC 223 bus incident, adding, "You cannot talk about religion. You cannot talk about nation. Guys, you cannot talk about these things. This is very important to me."[94] He later posted on Instagram that he had warned McGregor that he would pay for everything he had done on 6 October.[95] Khabib's father, Abdulmanap, later said he did not hold a grudge towards McGregor and invited him to Russia to train.[96]
The NSAC filed a formal complaint against both Nurmagomedov and McGregor, and on 24 October, the NSAC voted to approve a motion to release half of Nurmagomedov's $2 million fight payout immediately. Both Nurmagomedov and McGregor received indefinite bans until an official hearing would determine the disciplinary outcome of the post-fight brawl.[97] On 29 January 2019, the NSAC announced a nine-month suspension for Nurmagomedov (retroactive to 6 October 2018) and a $500,000 fine. He was eligible to compete again on 6 July 2019.[98] McGregor also received a six-month suspension and $50,000 fine, while Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov each received 12-month suspensions and fines of $25,000. Khabib Nurmagomedov complained about the NSAC's decisions and stated he no longer wished to compete in the state of Nevada.[99]
In June 2019, Nurmagomedov signed a new multi-fight contract with the UFC.[100] In the first fight of his new deal, Nurmagomedov made the second defence of his title against interim lightweight championDustin Poirier on 7 September 2019 in the main event atUFC 242.[101] He won the fight via arear naked choke submission in the third round.[102] The win unified both titles and earned Nurmagomedov his secondPerformance of the Night bonus award.[103] He and Poirier swapped shirts after the fight as a show of respect. In his post-fight interview Nurmagomedov said that he would be selling the shirt Poirier gave him and donating the proceeds to Poirier's charity.[104] The shirt sold for $100,000 and the donation was matched by UFC presidentDana White.[105]
Nurmagomedov was scheduled to defendhis title againstTony Ferguson on 18 April 2020 atUFC 249. This was the fifth time that a fight between the pair had been scheduled, and both fighters were on 12–fight win streaks in the UFC.[106] However, Nurmagomedov was unable to leave Russia because of restricted air travel due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, and so was removed from the card.[107] Ferguson instead faced top contenderJustin Gaethje for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 249, which was postponed to 9 May. Gaethje won the fight by fifth–round TKO, thus ending Ferguson's win streak and securing himself a shot at the undisputed title against Nurmagomedov.[108]
Nurmagomedov faced Gaethje in a unification bout on 24 October 2020 in the main event atUFC 254.[109][110][111] Nurmagomedov won the fight viatechnical submission with atriangle choke in the second round to defend and re-unify theUFC Lightweight Championship. In his post-fight interview, Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from mixed martial arts. He explained that he had promised his mother that he would not continue to fight without his late father, "No way I'm going to come here without my father. It was first time after what happened with my father, when UFC called me about Justin, I talk with my mother three days. She doesn't want me to go fight without my father but I promised her it was going to be my last fight. If I give my word, I have to follow this. It was my last fight here."[112][113] This win earned him thePerformance of the Night award.[114]Daniel Cormier said in an episode of DC & Helwani, after the fight, that Khabib had said he chose the triangle choke instead of an arm bar in order to prevent Gaethje from being injured.[115][116]
Retirement and vacation of the UFC Lightweight Championship
Despite attempted negotiations to bring him back for one more fight, UFC presidentDana White announced on 19 March 2021 that he had accepted Nurmagomedov's decision to retire and that the UFC Lightweight Championship had been officially vacated.[117]
On 1 July 2022, Nurmagomedov was inducted into theUFC Hall of Fame on the International Fight Week in Las Vegas.[118]
MMA promoter
Following his retirement, Nurmagomedov purchased the Gorilla Fighting Championship (GFC), a Russian-based MMA promotion, for $1 million[119] – going on to rename it as theEagle Fighting Championship (EFC).[120]
Nurmagomedov employed a wrestling-based style of relentless pressure against his opponents, often described as "mauling". Using a variety ofwrestling andjudo/sambo takedowns, he forced his opponents against the cage, and locked up their legs and an arm to prevent them from escaping. From this position, he exhausted his opponents by forcing his weight against them and attacked with measured strikes his opponents were often unable to defend. This was one of the many signature styles that he used to deploy to advance towards his finishing move.[127] Throughout his career, nineteen of his twenty-nine victories had come by way of either TKO/KO or submission.[128]
In August 2021, there was speculation that Nurmagomedov had signed a professional football contract with third tier Russian side Legion Dynamo after he was seen shaking hands with the players and manager. However, a few days later Nurmagomedov denied he had signed a professional contract instead saying he is very close to the club and just a fan.[136]
Throughout his career, Nurmagomedov has become the subject of many controversies, including a longstanding affiliation with Chechnya's leader,Ramzan Kadyrov, questionable affiliations with oligarchs, advocacy for increased culturalcensorship andmisogynism.[18] He has also been accused ofsexism.[145]
The Guardian stated that, since his high-profile victory over McGregor, Nurmagomedov has used his influential status to "further his ultra-conservative worldview".[18] In 2018, Nurmagomedov advocated a crackdown on nightclubs in his home region of Dagestan,[146] and levelled criticism at a rap concert held inMakhachkala, which led to rapperEgor Kreed cancelling his performances in the region.[18] In 2019, Nurmagomedov spoke out against a play held in Dagestan that featured a scene of a scantily-clad woman seducing a man. He described the play as "filth", recommended that there be a governmental investigation into its production, and called for those involved to issue a public apology, which allegedly led to the producer of the play receiving threats on social media.[18][147]
In October 2020, Nurmagomedov said of thePresident of FranceEmmanuel Macron in the wake of themurder of Samuel Paty, "May the Almighty disfigure the face of this creature and all its followers, who, under the slogan of freedom of speech, offend the feelings of more than one and a half billion Muslim believers. May the Almighty humiliate them in this life, and in the next." The post included an image of a boot print over Macron's face. Nurmagomedov added: "We are Muslims, we love our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) more than our mothers, fathers, children, wives and all other people close to our hearts."[148][149] Due to his commentary, Nurmagomedov was accused of "inciting violence".[150]
In 2024, Russian authorities seized Nurmagomedov's bank accounts, accusing him of failing to pay his taxes properly. His Makhachkala-based gym also came under scrutiny for alleged ties toterrorism, with authorities raiding the facility following reports that an individual who had previously trained there was involved in attacks onChristian andJewish places of worship in Dagestan.[159][160][161]
Family
Nurmagomedov married Patimat in June 2013 and they have three children; a daughter born 1 June 2015, a son born 30 December 2017,[162] and a son born on 22 December 2019.[163] The first son was named Magomed, after Khabib's great-grandfather.[164] Among Nurmagomedov's cousins are fellow UFC fightersAbubakar Nurmagomedov andUmar Nurmagomedov, and Bellator fighterUsman Nurmagomedov.[165][166]
In October 2018, Nurmagomedov was made an "Honorary Citizen of Grozny" by the mayor ofGrozny Ibrahim Zakriev after his victory against McGregor at UFC 229. He was also presented with aMercedes car by Chechnya's headRamzan Kadyrov, funded from the Akhmad Kadyrov Foundation, and his father Abdulmanap was awarded the title of "Honoured Worker of Physical Culture of the Chechen Republic" by Kadyrov.[171]
^"The History of Combat Sambo". bsambo.com.ua. Archived fromthe original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved17 December 2016. The 2009 WCSF World Championships were postponed to April 2010 in Kyiv, Ukraine, from its usual December schedule the year prior.
