Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov, born on September 20, 1988, in the village of Sildi in the Tsumadinsky District of Dagestan, Russia, is a retired Russian mixed martial artist.
Raised in an Avar family, Khabib grew up in a household steeped in martial arts tradition, with his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, a decorated athlete and combat sports coach, transforming the ground floor of their home into a gym.
Khabib’s early exposure to martial arts included wrestling a bear at age nine, a testament to the rugged training environment of Dagestan.
He began wrestling at eight, later incorporating judo and combat sambo under his father’s guidance.
Khabib’s disciplined upbringing and relentless work ethic shaped him into a formidable fighter, known for his grappling prowess and undefeated record in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Siblings
Khabib has two siblings, an older brother named Magomed and a younger sister named Amina.
Magomed Nurmagomedov, the elder sibling, has a background in wrestling but has not pursued a professional career in mixed martial arts or competed in major promotions like the UFC.
He appeared briefly in Episode 7 of The Dagestan Chronicles on YouTube, where Khabib introduced him as his brother, noting his camera-shy nature.
Career
Nurmagomedov’s professional MMA career began in 2008, marked by a meteoric rise through regional circuits in Russia and Ukraine.
He compiled a 16-0 record before signing with the UFC in late 2011, overcoming legal disputes with the ProFC promotion.
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Making his UFC debut on January 20, 2012, Khabib defeated Kamal Shalorus via third-round submission at UFC on FX 1.
His relentless grappling style, rooted in combat sambo, judo, and wrestling, overwhelmed opponents, leading to notable victories over Gleison Tibau, Thiago Tavares, and Abel Trujillo.
In 2013, he set a UFC record for the most takedowns in a single fight (21 out of 28 attempts) against Trujillo.
Khabib’s career peaked when he won the UFC Lightweight Championship on April 7, 2018, defeating Al Iaquinta at UFC 223.
He defended the title three times, including a high-profile victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 229, which drew 2.4 million pay-per-view buys, and submissions of Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.
Khabib retired after UFC 254 in October 2020, following his father’s death, with a perfect 29-0 record, honoring a promise to his mother to step away from fighting.
Post-retirement, he transitioned to coaching, guiding fighters like Islam Makhachev and his cousins, while running MMA gyms in Dagestan and at the American Kickboxing Academy.
Accolades
Khabib is the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion, holding the title from April 2018 to March 2021.
His undefeated 29-0 record includes 19 victories by TKO or submission, showcasing his dominance.
Khabib is a two-time Combat Sambo World Champion and holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, alongside international master of sport titles in judo, sambo, army hand-to-hand combat, and pankration.
He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on June 30, 2022, recognizing his contributions to the sport.
At the time of his retirement, Khabib was ranked number 1 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings, and Fight Matrix ranks him as the number 1 lightweight of all time.
In 2019, Forbes named him the most successful Russian athlete, reflecting his global impact.
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