How Discipline And Devotion Played A Role In Fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Dominance
NEW YORK — Not many mixed martial arts fighters can say that they’ve won all of their fights by dominating opponents. Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov’s career, however, was the exception.
Boasting a flawless 29-0 UFC record, he notched eight wins by knockout and 11 others via submission during a 12-year professional career that made Nurmagomedov among the world’s most-feared UFC combatants.
Nurmagomedov joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2012 and tallied wins against some of the organization’s finest lightweights, including Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje and Conor McGregor, who would become his main rival.
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Nurmagomedov also holds the record for the longest championship reign at 155 pounds, holding the title from April 2018 until his retirement in October 2020.
But Nurmagomedov’s story goes far beyond his dominance in the octagon. Throughout his life and career, Nurmagomedov has shown how important discipline, respect, faith and family can be for a fighter in and out of the cage.
‘The Eagle’ once fought bears
Nurmagomedov, now 34 and still involved in the sport as a coach, hails from the Republic of Dagestan, a Muslim region in Russia where wrestling is a common practice for young boys and men. His father, Abdulmanap, was a decorated athlete and veteran of the Soviet army.
During his childhood, Nurmagomedov’s father turned the ground floor of their two-story building into a gym, dedicated to training young Dagestani boys in martial arts to help them refrain from the Islamic extremism that had begun to haunt the region.
Being around martial arts inspired the young Nurmagomedov to start training under his father’s mentorship. At age 5, he began training as a wrestler and later picked up judo and sambo, a Russian way of practicing martial arts that has its origins in the old Soviet Union.
One of the most unorthodox practices Nurmagomedov is known for is wrestling with bears as a 9-year-old. With his rise to popularity in the UFC, old footage of him rolling with a bear surfaced, and questions were raised.
“This happens in (the) zoo — it’s like a circus bear,” Nurmagomedov told “MMA Junkie Radio” in 2015. “They are taught to wrestle. He took me down two times, but I took him down too. Guys like me were scared. I said ‘Father let’s go. I want to wrestle him.”
Nurmagomedov went on to speak about how his father had a gym at home, and with his father by his side, there was no reason for him to fear the animal.
“It was a close match, but I think I won by a split decision,” Nurmagomedov joked.
Nurmagomedov made his pro debut in September 2008. He spent the first three years of his career competing for promotions in Russia and Ukraine before entering the UFC with a 16-0 record in 2012.
Faith and milestones
Everything about UFC 299 in 2018 was intense. Headlining the event was the long-awaited meeting between Nurmagomedov and McGregor.
The event would be remembered for the brawl that sparked after Nurmagomedov submitted the Irishman in the fourth round. While McGregor showed his typical brash persona during the build-up to the fight, Nurmagomedov remained calm despite McGregor’s countless attempts to get inside his head.
Nurmagomedov rarely responded to the direct insults but spoke when his religion was mentioned — not just by McGregor, but by members of the media. When a press conference was held to promote the event, a reporter greeted both competitors by saying “Khabib, as-salaam alaikum (peace be upon you, a common religious salutation for Muslims). Conor, congrats on Proper Twelve” — alluding to his whiskey brand.
In turn, Nurmagomedov responded by saying, “You cannot say salaam alaikum and congrats about whiskey.”
A practicing Sunni Muslim, Nurmagomedov holds strongly to his religious beliefs.
“I never drink or smoke,” he told The Los Angeles Times in 2018. “Not because I’m an athlete, but because I’m Muslim.”
Nurmagomedov also spoke about his pursuit of clarity with Allah.
“This is very important mentally, to be clear with Allah,” he added. “This is not about the UFC. There is nothing else more important to me than being clear with Allah. And being clear with Allah is the No. 1 most hard thing in life.”
Nurmagomedov added, “It’s for peace, for good. You don’t need to talk about it. Just do good things. Friends sometimes don’t want to be with me because I don’t do this or that, but I’m OK. If I’m too religious, bye-bye.”
Like all practicing Muslims, Nurmagomedov takes Ramadan seriously and refused to schedule fights during or near Ramadan to avoid fight camps interfering with the practice. He also has advocated for respecting religious beliefs. In 2016, EA Sports issued an apology to Nurmagomedov and other Muslim fighters after making the sign of the cross a default gesture in the UFC 2 video game.
After defeating Al Iaquinta for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship in April 2018, Nurmagomedov became the first Muslim champion in the organization. He would defend the title three times against top competitors McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje before retiring in 2020.
A promise fulfilled … and a legacy continues
After submitting Gaethje in their 2020 bout, the camera showed Nurmagomedov surrounded by his cornermen as they tried to unwrap his gloves. UFC commentator Jon Anik waited before approaching the champion to ask for his thoughts after another dominant performance.
“God gave me everything,” Nurmagomedov declared.
He then proceeded to thank his team and his father, who died as a result of the coronavirus in July 2020, three months before the fight.
“Thank you to these guys with me and with my father for more than 20 years. Today was my last fight. No way I’m going to come here without my father,” he said. “After what happened to my father, the UFC called me about Justin (Gaethje). I talked to my mother for three days. She doesn’t know I go fight without my father, but I promised her it's going to be my last fight. And if I give my word, I have to follow this.”
He continued by asking the UFC to crown him as the pound-for-pound top fighter, commending his opponent and talking about the importance of being close to your parents before laying his gloves down on the canvas — leaving the sport with a perfect record.
Although his fighting days are over, Nurmagomedov stays close to MMA. He serves as a training partner and coach to members of his gym, including the No. 4 ranked lightweight Islam Makhachev whom he grew up with.
With Nurmagomedov’s exit came his childhood friend and training partner’s quick rise in one of the UFC’s marquee divisions.
“My dad always said, ‘When Khabib is finished, I want Islam to be UFC champion,’” Nurmagomedov told the UFC. “He is top five; Islam is the future champ.”
Boasting a 22-1 record, Makhachev is scheduled to fight for the undisputed lightweight championship later this month on Oct. 22 against Charles Oliveira. It’s a chance to bring the title Nurmagomedov once held back to Dagestan.
Leocciano Callao is a freelance journalist. He has interned at the Brooklyn Paper and currently covers basketball for FanSided. He studied media, culture and the arts at Providence Christian College in Pasadena, California, and played four years of college soccer. He is on Twitter @leocciano.