Khabib Nurmagomedov & MMA Betting: The End Of A Lucrative Era

As any sports bettor will tell you, picking a winner isn’t easy no matter how well you think you know your respective sport. During his rise to prominence in MMA and subsequent dominance in the UFC’s lightweight division, we made a lot of money betting on Khabib Nurmagomedov.

What is MMA?

Firstly you will be introduced to MMA and as the name “Mixed Martial Arts” suggests, MMA is a mix of different martial arts, but an independent sport where all techniques are selected, adapted, developed and optimized for the sets of rules that are fought under in MMA. The philosophy behind MMA is to find the ultimate fighting athlete within a set of rules that enforces the safety of the fighters without hampering the ‘free fight’. MMA fights typically take place in a cage (called an ‘octagon‘), which takes greater account of security, compared to a boxing ring as the cage ensures that the fighters do not fall out through the ropes. MMA is a well-organized sport. One cannot enter from the street and fight for an MMA meet. There will always be a medical check before the fight, a trained referee, three judges, a competition doctor and a comprehensive set of rules for what is allowed (there is a lot you are not allowed to do). MMA is also one of the world’s fastest growing sports and several of the big shows draw over a million spectators via. pay-per-view.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Rise & Retirement

After 29 victories in 29 professional MMA fights, Khabib Nurmagomedov had become one of the surest bets in the sport. The undefeated Russian was so dominant that the bookmakers eventually clocked on and reduced his odds vastly. However, the smart fans have been betting on Nurmagomedov and making big money ever since his UFC debut.

Nurmagomedov was last seen in action at UFC 254 in October 2020 when he picked up a technical submission win over the interim lightweight champion, Justin Gaethje. Immediately afterward the bout ‘The Eagle’ announced his retirement from fighting.

Family tragedy

Nurmagomedov’s father died last summer after complications due to contracting the coronavirus infection, and therefore the MMA star had promised his mother that his fight at UFC 254 would be his last. Shortly after the retirement announcement, Nurmagomedov was hailed by UFC boss Dana White at a press conference, while he was also flooded with positive words from celebrities on social media – including football star Cristiano Ronaldo.

What MMA’s most dominant fighter has planned now is difficult to say at this time. Roughly as difficult as predicting the outcome when playing Crikeyslots.com. Nurmagomedov is already proving his prowess as an MMA coach and he could well follow in his late father’s footsteps by helping mold the next generation of Dagestani MMA stars.

What do you think is next for Khabib Nurmagomedov?