Biography(references)Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov was born to an Avar family on 20 September 1988, in the village of Sildi in the Tsumadinsky District of the Dagestan ASSR, an autonomous republic within the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. A decorated athlete and a veteran of the Soviet Army, Abdulmanap had also wrestled from an early age, before undergoing training in judo and sambo in the military. Abdulmanap dedicated his life to coaching the youth in Dagestan, in hopes of offering an alternative to the Islamic extremism common to the region. Khabib said that, along with his father, three athletes who inspired him were the American boxers Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson and the Brazilian footballer Ronaldo.
Combat ApproachNurmagomedov employs a wrestling-based style of relentless pressure against his opponents, often described as "mauling". Using a variety of wrestling and judo/sambo takedowns, he forces his opponents against the cage, and locks up their legs and an arm to prevent them from escaping. MMA Commentator Joe Rogan, a black belt in both 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, said of Nurmagomedov, “He’s the most terrifying lightweight contender in the world,” and “he’s just on such another level that the odds of beating him drop significantly after the first minute-and-a-half.” UFC referee Herb Dean stated Nurmagomedov constantly talks to his opponents during fights.
Fighter Trivia(references)He is an avid football fan and supporter of the clubs Anzhi Makhachkala, Galatasaray, Real Madrid and Liverpool, as well as the Russia national team. In October 2020, The Guardian stated that Nurmagomedov is the second-most popular Muslim athlete in the world, behind only the Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah. Nurmagomedov has also hosted a training seminar at the Akhmat MMA fight club that is funded by Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov, who has received criticism from some quarters for his government's alleged human rights abuses.
Awards & Accolades
UFC: UFC Hall of Fame (Modern-Era Wing, Class of 2022)
UFC: UFC Lightweight Championship (One time). Three successful title defenses
UFC: Three successful title defenses
UFC: Longest Lightweight champion reign in UFC history (1077 days)
UFC: Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje
UFC: Most takedowns in a single UFC fight (UFC 160: 21 takedowns on 28 attempts; 3 rounds) vs. Abel Trujillo
UFC: Tied for Most title defenses in Lightweight division UFC history (3) (w. B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson)
UFC: Tied for Most consecutive title defenses in Lightweight division UFC history (3) (w. B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson)
UFC: Tied for Most title wins in Lightweight division UFC history (4) (w. B.J. Penn and Benson Henderson)
UFC: Most submissions wins in Lightweight division title fights UFC history (3)
UFC: Most consecutive wins in Lightweight division UFC history (13)
UFC: Tied second-most submissions win in title fights UFC history (3) (w. Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey, Matt Hughes and B.J. Penn)
UFC: Second Russian UFC champion (after Oleg Taktarov)
UFC: First Muslim UFC champion
UFC: 2020 UFC Honors Submission of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje
UFC: Three successful title defenses
M-1 Global: M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections
Atrium Cup: Pankration Atrium Cup 2008 tournament winner
Sherdog.com: 2013 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year.
Sherdog.com: 2016 Beatdown of the Year (UFC 205: vs. Michael Johnson).
Sherdog.com: 2016 Comeback Fighter of the Year
Fightbooth.com: 2013 Staredown of the Year (UFC 160: vs. Abel Trujillo)
MMAdna.nl: 2017 Performance of the Year (UFC 219: vs. Edson Barboza)
MMAjunkie.com: 2020 October Submission of the Month vs. Justin Gaethje
World MMA Awards: 2016 International Fighter of the Year.
World MMA Awards: 2021 Submission of the Year vs. Justin Gaethje^
Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable (2020)
BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year: 2020 World Sport Star of the Year
Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM): Best Sportsman in Russia
ESPY Award: 2021 Best MMA fighter
Combat Sambo Federation of Russia: 2009 Russian Combat Sambo Championships (−74 kg) Gold Medalist
World Combat Sambo Federation: 2009 World Combat Sambo Championships (−74 kg) Gold Medalist
World Combat Sambo Federation: 2010 World Combat Sambo Championships (−82 kg) Gold Medalist
Russian Union of Martial Arts: European Champion of Army Hand-to-Hand Combat
International Pankration federation: European Pankration Champion
NAGA World Championship: 2012 Men's No-Gi Expert Welterweight Champion
NAGA World Championship: 2012 ADCC Rules No-Gi Expert Welterweight Champion
On This Day: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Rafael dos Anjos | Free Fight
UFC Debut: Khabib Nurmagomedov vs Kamal Shalorus | Free Fight
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Fight Outcomes - WinsLosses
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