DOB: September 20th, 1988
Birthplace: Makhachkala, Dagestan
Nickname: The Eagle
Gym: American Kickboxing Academy,
Style: Sambo
Weight Class: Lightweight
Championships: UFC Lightweight Championship
Khabib’s father was a highly decorated wrestler and combat sambo athlete. Naturally, Khabib would begin his training from an early age.
He began training wrestling first, then judo, and finally combat sambo in his late teens. The reason his father taught him this way was because he wanted Khabib to get his base in wrestling first. Then began Khabib’s training in judo afterward to get him comfortable fighting in a Gi when he’d begin sambo training.
His whole life has been dedicated to training martial arts and his commitment made him the best in the world.
After years of training, Khabib’s father permitted him to fight professionally in 2008, when he was 20. Khabib would fight 4 times in one month and 3 being in a Pankration tournament that he won.
He’d take a slight break from MMA for almost a year to focus on the world sambo championship. Nurmagomedov would go on to win the 2009 world sambo championship and resume MMA fighting.
Khabib made his return to MMA in August that year fighting twice in one night winning a 4 man tournament.
The eagle would continue winning fights within Russian promotions M-1 and Pro FC. Boosting his record MMA record to 16-0 and also winning his 2nd sambo world title in 2010.
Nurmagomedov would make his debut in the UFC being relatively unknown to the UFC audience in 2012. He dominated his first fight with superior wrestling submitting Kamal Shalorus in the 3rd round.
For the next 4 years, Khabib would win every fight he had with ease working his way up the ranks. Winning 7 fights during that time.
In 2017, Khabib would get his first higher profile fight against TUF vet Michael Johnson. When he fought Johnson, he talked to him throughout the whole fight.
Telling Michael to quit and that he didn’t want to hurt him before submitting him with a kimura. He would do the same with Edson Barboza in his next fight.
Khabib was supposed to face Tony Ferguson for the 2nd time at UFC 223 for the lightweight title. Unfortunately Tony got hurt this time and Al Iaquinta stepped in on short notice.
Nurmagomedov would win the title, but drama started before the fight between him and Conor McGregor. After Khabib got into a heated exchange with Conor’s teammate Artem Lobov, Conor arrived in New York in a rage.
McGregor threw a dolly cart at a bus Khabib was in shattering the window and hurting multiple fighters.
This set the 2 on a collision course at UFC 229 in Las Vegas.
The environment at UFC 229 was hostile with fans of each fighter brawling in the stands. Khabib would win every round of the fight leading to him finishing Conor with an RNC.
But after the fighter, Khabib jumped the cage to attack Conor’s teammates and a riot broke out. Both were fined and suspended for their actions that night.
A year later after his suspension was up, Khabib would defend his title against Dustin Poirier. This was another dominating performance by Khabib winning again by RNC.
A tragedy then hit Khabib as his beloved father and coach passed away due to complications from Covid. With a heavy heart, he would make another title defense against Justin Gaethje.
Khabib would submit Gaethje with a triangle choke and announce his retirement after the fight.
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