Khabib Nurmagomedov is a former Russian fighter born on 20 September, 1988. He used to compete in a sport called mixed martial arts where people fight in a cage. He was good at it, especially in a weight class called Lightweight. He held the title for a long time from April 2018 to March 2021 without losing any matches. That’s pretty impressive!
He’s considered one of the best fighters ever and got into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022. Before he retired he was ranked as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC. Another ranking called Fight Matrix even says he’s the best Lightweight fighter ever.
Outside of fighting Khabib is also a coach and started his fighting organization called Eagles MMA. He also made a championship called Eagle Fighting Championship. After he stopped fighting he became a full-time coach before retiring completely in 2023.
But some stuff about him’s controversial. He’s been linked to some political leaders and has gotten into trouble for things he’s said about culture and women.
| Full Name | Khabib Nurmagomedov |
| Date of Birth | September 20, 1988 |
| Place of Birth | Sildi, Dagestan, Russia |
| Occupation | Retired Professional MMA Fighter |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Spouse | Patimat |
| Children | 3 |
| Net Worth | $40 million |
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Early life
Khabib Nurmagomedov was born on September 20, 1988, in a village called Sildi in Dagestan Russia. He grew up in a family of wrestlers with his dad Abdulmanap teaching him the ropes from a young age. His family even converted part of their home into a gym for training.
Like many kids in his area, Khabib started wrestling when he was eight. His dad who had a strong background in wrestling and military training coached him and others in their community hoping to steer them away from extremism.
When Khabib was 12 his family moved to Makhachkala the capital of Dagestan. There he continued his wrestling training and also picked up judo when he was 15. At 17 he went back to combat sambo a type of martial arts under his father’s guidance. It wasn’t easy for him to switch from wrestling to judo but his dad wanted him to try different styles.
Abdulmanap Khabib’s dad was a respected coach for the Sambo national team. Despite Khabib getting into fights as a teenager he eventually shifted his focus to mixed martial arts (MMA) with inspiration from legends like Muhammad Ali Mike Tyson and Ronaldo Nazário.
Career
Khabib Nurmagomedov started his MMA career in 2008 and quickly showed his talent by winning four fights in less than a month. In October of the same year, he became the first-ever Atrium Cup champion by beating three opponents in Moscow. For the next three years, he didn’t lose a single fight defeating 11 out of 12 opponents. One notable win was against Shahbulat Shamhalaev in his M-1 Global debut where he finished the fight with an armbar in the first round.
His impressive 16-0 record in Russia and Ukraine caught the attention of the UFC. But before joining there were some legal battles over his contract. Eventually, he signed a six-fight deal with the UFC in late 2011.
His UFC debut in January 2012 ended with a submission win over Kamal Shalorus. He continued his winning streak by defeating Gleison Tibau and Thiago Tavares in his next fights.
In May 2013, he faced Abel Trujillo winning by unanimous decision despite missing weight. He set a new UFC record for most takedowns in a single fight during this match.
His fifth UFC fight in September 2013 against Pat Healy ended with another unanimous decision win. Dana White praised his performance hinting at big things to come.
In December, of the same year, Khabib Nurmagomedov challenged Gilbert Melendez but the fight didn’t happen. He then faced Rafael dos Anjos in April 2014 winning via unanimous decision.
Several planned fights with Donald Cerrone Tony Ferguson and others fell through due to injuries or other issues.
In November 2016, at UFC 205, he faced Michael Johnson and won by submission in the third round demanding a title shot from Dana White during the fight.
A scheduled fight with Ferguson in March 2017 was canceled due to Nurmagomedov’s health issues.
In December 2017, Khabib Nurmagomedov dominated Edson Barboza winning by unanimous decision and earning his first Performance of the Night bonus.
UFC Lightweight Champion
Khabib Nurmagomedov a famous MMA fighter had some intense matches and moments in his career.
In April 2018, he was supposed to fight Tony Ferguson but got replaced by Max Holloway due to an injury. However, Holloway couldn’t fight so Al Iaquinta stepped in. Even though Iaquinta wasn’t originally chosen to fight he still got in. Nurmagomedov won the fight becoming the UFC Lightweight Champion.
Then in October 2018, Nurmagomedov fought Conor McGregor. He won most rounds but lost one which was a first for him. Eventually, he made McGregor submit in the fourth round. After the fight, there was a huge brawl between their teams.
After this incident, Nurmagomedov was suspended for nine months and fined. McGregor also got a suspension and fine along with others involved in the brawl.
In September 2019, Khabib Nurmagomedov fought Dustin Poirier winning via submission in the third round. He donated his earnings from selling Poirier’s shirt to charity.
In October 2020, he fought Justin Gaethje winning again and announcing his retirement afterward.
Despite attempts to bring him back Nurmagomedov retired officially in March 2021. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July 2022.
After retiring he bought a Russian MMA promotion renamed it and became a coach for several MMA fighters. However, he retired completely from MMA in January 2023 to focus on his family.
Fighting style
Khabib Nurmagomedov was known for his intense wrestling style that put a ton of pressure on his opponents. People often called it “mauling” because he would constantly push them against the cage and lock up their legs and arms so they couldn’t escape. He’d wear them out by using his weight against them and then hit them with hard hits they couldn’t defend against. This was his go-to strategy to win fights.
He had a really impressive record with 19 out of 29 wins coming from either knocking his opponents out or making them tap out.
Randy Couture a former UFC champion called Nurmagomedov “brilliant” while Joe Rogan who knows a lot about grappling said he was the scariest lightweight fighter around. UFC referee Herb Dean even mentioned that Nurmagomedov would talk to his opponents during fights.
Net Worth
Khabib Nurmagomedov has an estimated net worth of $40 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s net worth mainly comes from his career as a professional MMA fighter. He earned a lot of money from his fights, including big pay-per-view events and bonuses. After retiring, he also makes money from endorsements, his own businesses, and investments.
Personal life
Khabib Nurmagomedov a famous UFC fighter is deeply rooted in his Dagestani Avar culture. He’s often seen wearing a traditional papakha hat, especially after fights or at events promoting his fights.
Despite his fame in the fighting world, Khabib is also a regular guy pursuing his education. He’s been attending Plekhanov Russian University of Economics since 2019.
Khabib isn’t just about fighting; he’s a big football fan too. He supports several clubs like Anzhi Makhachkala Galatasaray Real Madrid Liverpool and the Russian national team.
There was a buzz in August 2021 that Khabib Nurmagomedov had signed up with a Russian football team called Legion Dynamo but he clarified later that he’s just a big fan and not a professional player.
On social media, Khabib is a big deal. He’s the most popular Russian on Instagram with over 34 million followers as of December 2022.
Khabib’s achievements go beyond sports. He’s the first Muslim from Dagestan to win a UFC title. He’s also outspoken about his beliefs being a Sunni Muslim. He’s recognized as one of the most influential Muslim athletes globally.
He’s not afraid to speak out about issues he cares about. Khabib has criticized things like nightclubs and events in his hometown urging for more conservative values.
In his personal life, Khabib is a family man. He got married to Patimat in 2013 and has three kids. Unfortunately, his father and trainer Abdulmanap passed away in July 2020 due to COVID-19 complications after heart surgery.
Awards
In October 2018, after Khabib Nurmagomedov beat McGregor at UFC 229 the mayor of Grozny named him an “Honorary Citizen of Grozny.” He also got a fancy car from Chechnya’s leader and his father got a special title from him too.
Then on December 5, 2019, the leader of Dagestan gave Nurmagomedov and his dad an award for their big help to sports in Dagestan.
