Defeated McGregor and became the richest athlete in Russia
April 15, 2020
Habib is an economist by education. He also knows six languages: Kumyk, Avar, Russian, Turkish, Arabic and English. Photo: sports.ru
Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the strongest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts. During his career, Khabib won 28 victories and did not suffer a single defeat. Nurmagomedov was a fan of Fedor Emelianenko, became the first UFC champion from Russia, and his fight with Tony Ferguson was canceled five times.
As a child, Nurmagomedov was trained by his father
Khabib Nurmagomedov was born on September 20, 1988 in Dagestan.
Habib's house is no different from other Sildi houses. Because of this, Nurmagomedov's neighbors respect him even more. Photo: lenta.ru
Khabib's ancestral village is Sildi. About 220 people live in Sildi. The village has only a mosque and a school. Habib’s home is the same as that of the other residents of Sildi; its windows offer views of the mountains.
All the men in the family were involved in martial arts. Khabib's father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov is a former sambo wrestler who practiced freestyle wrestling. Abdulmanap is a former champion of Ukraine in sambo and judo, who trained 18 world champions. After finishing his career, he became a coach. Khabib's paternal uncle was a world champion in sports sambo, and his maternal uncle was a master of sports in freestyle wrestling.
Abdulmanap said that his son took his first steps on the wrestling mats. When Khabib was 2 years old, his father began training him: he taught him to do somersaults and run. At the age of 5, Khabib began learning basic wrestling techniques.
As children, Habib and his cousin Abubakar fought with a bear cub. This training was given to the children by Abdulmanap, who was watching what was happening.
In 2001, the Nurmagomedov family moved to Makhachkala. Abdulmanap equipped a gym in which he began to train his son and local children.
Khabib's breakthrough
Initially, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov assessed Magomed’s chances higher than Khabib’s. He was faster, more cunning, more tactically competent. Already at the age of 16, his older brother was a member of the Dagestan freestyle wrestling team. However, Khabib intensively eliminated the backlog through persistent training and hard work on himself.
He literally demanded that his father be included in the team and participate in training camps. During the year, Khabib worked at 15 training camps, doing a titanic job, after which his results went up. By the age of 16, he was among the best in the country in sambo and hand-to-hand combat, after which his rich capabilities became obvious.
As a teenager, Khabib was a fan of Fedor Emelianenko
One day, Khabib’s friends showed him a recording of a fight without rules. Nurmagomedov liked mixed martial arts (MMA) and wanted to try himself in this sport. Khabib's favorite fighter was Russian Fedor Emelianenko, who was at the peak of his career in the 2000s. Khabib said many times in interviews that he considers Emelianenko the best fighter in the history of mixed martial arts.
Fedor Emelianenko is a Russian MMA fighter, four-time world champion in mixed martial arts according to Pride.
Nurmagomedov asked his father to send him to the martial arts section related to striking techniques, and not just wrestling. Abdulmanap saw his son’s potential and believed that Khabib should be a well-rounded fighter. First, Nurmagomedov began to practice judo, and then combat sambo.
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov said that Khabib began to show great potential and talent when he was 16–17 years old. Photo: sportmedia.news
At 22, Nurmagomedov became a two-time world champion in combat sambo.
Nurmagomedov had a successful amateur career. He competed in various types of martial arts and achieved high results. Khabib became the Russian champion in hand-to-hand combat, the European champion in pankration and the world champion in grappling.
After several injuries, Nurmagomedov almost ended his sports career. Khabib wanted to get a job as a security guard to start earning money and helping his family. The father dissuaded Nurmagomedov.
Khabib achieved his greatest success in combat sambo. In 2010, two world championships in this sport were held at once - in April in Kyiv and in December in Moscow. Nurmagomedov won both tournaments. In Kyiv he competed in the weight category up to 74 kg, in Moscow - up to 82 kg.
The world championships that Nurmagomedov won are not considered official in Russia. They were organized by the World Combat Sambo Federation (WCSF). The official championships are held by the International Sambo Federation (FIAS). Khabib did not participate in tournaments under the auspices of FIAS.
Sports career
Khabib Nurmagomedov is a two-time world champion in combat sambo. In 2010, two world championships were held at once - the 15th in Kyiv and the 16th in Moscow. In the first championship he won in the category up to 74 kg, and in the second - up to 82 kg. In November 2009, Khabib became the champion of Russia (up to 74 kg). He also had defeats. He came second at the World Cup among amateur clubs in 2010 in the up to 82 kg category, losing to Magomed Alinchiev. There is also a video on the Internet where Nurmagomedov loses to his fellow countryman Magomed Ibragimov. The poster near the carpet says “Russian Combat Sambo Championship,” but due to the lack of protocols preserved online, it is difficult to establish an exact date[21]. In February 2010, Nurmagomedov lost to Vladimir Zenin in the first round of the Russian Championship, which was held in the city of Krasnokamsk (Perm Territory).
Mixed martial arts
On January 21, 2012, Khabib fought his first fight under the auspices of the American UFC promotion. The fight ended with his victory over Kamal Shalorus - in the 3rd round, Khabib performed a choke hold, forcing Kamal to surrender[23]. The Americans immediately noted the very high level of Nurmagomedov’s wrestling training[24].
On July 7, 2012, Khabib fought his second fight under the auspices of the American UFC promotion against one of the best Brazilian lightweights, Gleison Tibau, one of the top 15 best lightweight fighters in the world at UFC 148 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Russian dominated throughout all three rounds and won by unanimous decision[24].
On January 19, 2013, the fighter met with another famous Brazilian lightweight Thiago Tavares in Brazil in the city of Sao Paulo at the grand UFC on FX 7 tournament[25]. On the main card of the tournament, he knocked down the Brazilian with an uppercut and then finished him off on the ground with his elbows at 1:55 of the first round. He also said he wants to fight one of the best fighters on the planet, Nate Diaz, on April 20 at UFC on FOX 7 in San Jose, California.
The largest company that organizes mixed martial arts fights, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, in its unofficial half-year summary named the most promising newcomers to the organization and put Nurmagomedov (18-0), whose debut in the UFC took place on January 20, 2012, in fourth place[26][27] .
With Nate Diaz taking on Josh Thompson as his opponent, Khabib faced up-and-coming US fighter Abel Trujillo on May 26 at UFC 160 in Las Vegas. Khabib dominated all three rounds and won by unanimous decision.[28]
After defeating Abel Trujillo, Khabib asked Dana White (UFC President) via Twitter to give him a fight against the legendary UFC fighter BJ Penn[29].
B.J. Penn's refusal put Khabib at a standstill, but the UFC offered Khabib a fight with Pat "Bam-Bam" Healy (Top 10 in the UFC rankings). Khabib agreed to the fight. The fight took place in Toronto, Canada, at the UFC 165 show. Khabib was better all three rounds, noting with a beautiful throw in the style of Matt Hughes. Dana White noted the Russian in an interview after the fight, saying that he likes Khabib’s fights[30].
At UFC 169, Khabib was supposed to fight former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez for a fight for the lightweight belt, but the fight did not take place[31].
On April 19, 2014, Khabib met in the cage with the 5th ranked fighter in the UFC Rafael Dos Anjos at the UFC on FOX 11 tournament in Orlando (Florida). The fight was very similar to the fight against Abel Trujillo, Khabib dominated all three rounds both in the stand and in the fight and won by unanimous decision.[32]
On July 5, 2014, Khabib suffered a knee injury (ruptured cruciate ligament), which forced him to sit out for one year before his fight against Tony Ferguson. In 2020, Khabib broke a rib and was out again indefinitely.
A fight against Tony Ferguson was planned for April 16, 2020 as part of the UFC on FOX 19 tournament, but due to an injury, Tony Ferguson withdrew from the tournament, and Darrell Horcher was chosen as Nurmagomedov's opponent, the fight with whom was supposed to mark Khabib's return to the Octagon after 2 year break. On April 16, Nurmagomedov defeated Darrell Horcher by technical knockout in the second round[33].
Khabib was scheduled to face current UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 or UFC 206, and Dana White confirmed this on Twitter.[34] However, on September 26, it was announced that Alvarez would defend his title against Conor McGregor.[35] Khabib expressed his displeasure on social networks.
On November 12, 2020, at UFC 205 in New York, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated American fighter Michael Johnson via armbar submission (kimura). Throughout the entire fight, Khabib dominated Michael and, as a result, in the third round the judge stopped the fight, since the opponent could not even knock on the floor, being in a clamped position due to a painful hold. Before this fight, after the weigh-in, Khabib had an argument with the Irish fighter Conor McGregor, who also had his title fight here. Security did not allow the verbal altercation to turn into battle. Both McGregor and Nurmagomedov promised each other that they would see what the result would be after their fight[36].
A fight against Ferguson was scheduled for a third time on March 4, 2017 at UFC 209, for the interim UFC lightweight championship.[37] Before the weigh-in, Khabib was hospitalized in poor condition, as a result of which the fight had to be canceled on the recommendation of a doctor[38].
On December 30, 2020, at UFC 219 in Las Vegas, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated Brazilian Edson Barboza by unanimous decision. Throughout the fight, Khabib dominated Edson, resulting in a victory. This fight was Nurmagomedov’s ninth in the UFC.
At the end of January 2020, the Nevada Athletic Commission issued a verdict to disqualify Khabib Nurmagomedov for 9 months with a $500 thousand fine for the scandal after the fight with Conor McGregor at UFC 229[39].
UFC lightweight champion
A fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson for the UFC lightweight champion title was planned for April 2020, however, six days before the fight, it became known that Ferguson had injured his knee and instead, Nurmagomedov would meet with Max Holloway[40]. On April 6, it became known that Holloway would not be able to perform due to doctors' concerns about his health due to sudden weight loss[41]. Later that day, Anthony Pattis, Paul Felder and Al Iaquinta were named as Nurmagomedov's likely opponents.[42] UFC management officially announced that Nurmagomedov will fight with Iaquinta for the championship belt[43]. Despite being overweight, Dana White stated that if Al won, he would be named champion.[44] Khabib dominated the entire fight and won by unanimous decision, becoming the UFC lightweight champion.
Meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Russian wrestler Khabib Nurmagomedov and his father in Ulyanovsk after the fight with McGregor, October 10, 2020.
In October 2020, he successfully defended his championship title at UFC 229, forcing Irishman Conor McGregor to submit. In the first round, Nurmagomedov, after a short reconnaissance in a standing position, moved the fight to the ground, where he systematically attacked his opponent in the head and body. In the second round, Nurmagomedov managed to knock down McGregor. The champion was unable to quickly develop an advantage, but the fight again went to the ground, where the Irishman could not provide significant resistance. Although McGregor stepped up his stance in the third round, his punches did not cause any visible harm to Nurmagomedov. In the fourth round, the Russian athlete again dragged McGregor to the floor, where, after a series of blows, he managed to take his neck in a tight grip, after which the Irishman knocked, signaling a surrender.
Immediately after the fight, Nurmagomedov had a verbal conflict with McGregor's jiu-jitsu coach Dennis Dillon, who was near the cage, and Khabib jumped over the fence and rushed at Dillon. A massive brawl broke out, during which members of Nurmagomedov’s team jumped into the ring, some of whom exchanged blows with McGregor. The championship belt was not awarded to Nurmagomedov in the ring, and he, like the losing contender, was taken to the back rooms of the stadium. Nurmagomedov's fee ($2 million) was withheld pending clarification of the circumstances by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which sanctioned the fight. According to media reports, Nurmagomedov may face a fine and a ban from competing in the UFC, as a result of which, according to Dana White, Khabib could be stripped of his championship title[45].
In January 2020, it became known that the fighter would be disqualified for 9 months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) and fined $500,000 after a controversial fight with Conor McGregor. The period of disqualification will be counted from the moment of the fight - October 6, 2020[46].
On August 20, 2020, he was in 2nd place in the ranking of UFC fighters out of weight categories, losing the championship only to Jon Jones[47].
On September 7, 2020, Khabib Nurmagomedov made another title defense against interim champion Dustin Poirier. The fight took place in Abu Dhabi and was the main event of the UFC 242 show. The fight dragged on for three rounds; at the end of the last round, Khabib was able to counterattack after Poirier attempted a painful hold. Nurmagomedov turned his opponent’s attempt into his own choke hold and won his 28th victory[48]. After the fight, the champion spoke respectfully about his opponent and donated 100,000 USD to his charitable foundation; UFC head Dana White later followed his example[49].
Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut in 2012
Khabib fought his first fight in the UFC against Kamal Shalorus.
At that time, Khabib was 23 years old, his opponent was 39. Photo: Getty Images In parallel with his amateur career, Nurmagomedov competed in mixed martial arts. Khabib fought his first fight under MMA rules on September 13, 2008 at the CSFU: Champions League tournament. Nurmagomedov defeated Azerbaijani Vusal Bayramov by submission in the first round.
In 2011, Khabib finally switched to MMA and stopped competing in other disciplines. In total, in 2011, Nurmagomedov fought 7 fights according to the rules of mixed martial arts. In all fights, Khabib won early victories: three times each by technical knockout and choke hold, once by painful hold.
In 2012, Nurmagomedov signed a contract with the world's largest organization that conducts fights according to the rules of mixed martial arts, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
On January 20, 2012, Nurmagomedov made his promotional debut at the UFC on FX: Guillard vs Miller tournament. Khabib defeated Iranian Kamal Shalorus by submission in the third round.
Titles and achievements
Mixed martial arts
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
UFC Lightweight Champion (one time, current) - Two successful title defenses
- Performance of the Night Award winner (two times) vs. Edson Barboza,[51] Dustin Poirier
- Holder of the record for most takedowns in one fight (21 takedowns, 27 attempts, 3 rounds) against Abel Trujillo[52]
- M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections
- Pankration Atrium Cup 2008 tournament winner
- 2014 “Fighter to watch”[53]
- 2013 “Breakthrough of the Year”[54]
- 2013 “Breakthrough of the Year”[55]
- 2013 “Breakthrough of the Year”[56]
- 2016 "International Fighter of the Year"[59]
Sambo
- Russian Combat Sambo Federation
2009 Russian Combat Sambo Championship (-74 kg) 01!
- 2009 World Combat Sambo Championship (-74 kg) 01!
Army hand-to-hand combat
- Russian Union of Martial Arts
European Champion in army hand-to-hand combat
Pankration
- Russian Federation Pankration
European Champion in Pankration
Grappling
- ' NAGA
World Championship' 2012 Men's No-Gi Expert Welterweight Champion[60] - 2012 ADCC Rules No-Gi Expert Welterweight Champion[60]
In 2020, Nurmagomedov became the UFC champion and defeated Conor McGregor
By 2020, Nurmagomedov had 9 fights in the UFC. Khabib won all fights: 4 times ahead of schedule, 5 times by unanimous decision. UFC management has cleared Nurmagomedov for the title fight. On April 7, 2018, Khabib defeated American Al Iaquinta by unanimous decision to become the UFC lightweight champion.
That same year, Nurmagomedov fought another fight. On October 6, his opponent was the Irishman Conor McGregor.
Conor McGregor is one of the most famous mixed martial arts fighters. During his career, he had 26 fights, in which he achieved 22 victories. McGregor is the only fighter in UFC history to be a champion in two weight categories at the same time - lightweight and welterweight.
In the fight with Khabib, Conor McGregor spent energy-intensive first two rounds and lost all his strength by the decisive fourth.
Photo: gazeta.ru Khabib dominated throughout the fight and won by painful hold on the jaw in the fourth round. After the fight, Nurmagomedov jumped outside the octagon and almost started a massive brawl with McGregor’s team.
The post-fight brawl stems from a long-standing conflict between Nurmagomedov and McGregor. Since 2020, fighters have spoken unkindly about each other in interviews. In April 2018, Khabib hit McGregor's sparring partner Artem Lobov in a hotel lobby in New York. Two days later, McGregor broke the window of the minibus in which Khabib was traveling, throwing a chair at the car.
Biography of Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov is a mixed martial arts fighter originally from Dagestan, who received the nickname “Eagle” among athletes. He competes in the UFC as a lightweight. After a fight with Al Iaquinta in April 2020, the athlete became the first Russian in UFC history to hold a championship title.
Mixed martial arts fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib has won all 28 professional fights
Khabib won 16 fights under the rules of mixed martial arts before joining the UFC. Nurmagomedov's winning streak in the UFC is 12 fights, which is the sixth highest in the history of the promotion.
| Athlete | Record winning streak in UFC |
| Anderson Silva | 16 |
| Georges Saint-Pierre | 13 |
| Demetrius Johnson | 13 |
| Max Holloway | 13 |
| John Jones | 13 |
| Khabib Nurmagomedov | 12 |
| Tony Ferguson | 12 |
On May 25, 2013, in a fight against American Abel Trujillo, Khabib took his opponent to the ground 21 times. This is a promotion record for the most takedowns in one fight.
Khabib goes to every fight wearing a traditional headdress - a papakha. When they met, Khabib gave hats to many athletes - Mike Tyson, Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: vk.com
Nurmagomedov's basic style in the UFC is wrestling
The first years of training shaped Khabib's fighting style. Nurmagomedov began his sports career as a freestyle wrestler, then practiced judo. Therefore, he tries to take his opponents to the ground and rarely fights standing. Khabib has shortcomings in striking technique because he has never boxed. Nurmagomedov's punches are not powerful enough. He rarely finishes fights with knockouts - only 2 wins in the UFC.
Nurmagomedov is one of the strongest fighters among MMA representatives. Extensive experience in judo and sambo competitions helps Khabib effectively carry out takedowns. During his UFC career, Nurmagomedov took opponents to the ground 59 times - the 8th result in the history of the promotion.
After takedowns, Nurmagomedov actively works on the ground and does not allow his opponents to return to their stance. Khabib controlled his opponents in 54.4% of his fights in the UFC - the 9th result in the history of the promotion. Nurmagomedov throws a lot of punches on the ground and constantly tries to apply a painful or suffocating technique.
After the fight with Conor, Khabib said that the Irishman prevented him from performing a choke hold - he lowered his chin. Then Khabib began to put pressure on Conor’s jaw and almost broke it. Photo: Inoprosport
Nurmagomedov's fight against Tony Ferguson was canceled 5 times
UFC President Dana White tried five times to organize a fight between Nurmagomedov and one of the strongest lightweight fighters, American Tony Ferguson. Each time the fight broke down.
The first time Nurmagomedov and Ferguson could meet was in 2015. The fight was scheduled for December 31, but on July 5, Khabib suffered a serious knee injury and withdrew. A new fight between the athletes was scheduled for April 16, 2020. This time the reason for the cancellation was Ferguson's condition. 10 days before the fight, the American was found to have fluid and blood in his lungs.
The fight was then scheduled for March 4, 2020. The winner of the fight would receive the UFC interim lightweight title. The fight was canceled six hours before the start of the tournament. Due to intense weight loss, Khabib developed problems with his liver and kidneys. Nurmagomedov was hospitalized and the fight was cancelled.
The fight was again postponed to April 7, 2020. Six days before the stated date, Ferguson came for an interview at the FOX studio. After the broadcast, he tripped over a television cable, fell and injured his knee.
Ferguson insulted Khabib more than once. When Nurmagomedov pulled out of a fight scheduled for April 2020, Tony called Khabib a “wimp” and said his career was over. Photo: eurosport.com
Following the cancellation of the fourth fight between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson, UFC President Dana White promised that he would never book the fight again. White broke his word and planned to arrange a fight between the fighters on April 18, 2020. This time both athletes were ready to meet, but the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
Khabib Nurmagomedov now
Today, the Russian athlete is one of the most successful UFC fighters, with dozens of victories, including knockouts. As of the end of 2020, he did not suffer a single defeat in his career, which is a record.
In January 2020, it became known that the Dagestan champion was disqualified for a period of 9 months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). The athlete was also fined $500 thousand. The reason for the sanctions was the scandalous fight with McGregor, in which Nurmagomedov violated a number of rules. This punishment did not affect his career: Khabib continued training and preparing for his next appearance in the ring.
McGregor later stated his desire for revenge, but Nurmagomedov’s manager said that the Irishman did not deserve a second chance and “they can only fight again on the street.” According to Khabib, he was offended by McGregor’s statements about his family and religion, and he no longer wants to meet him in the Octagon. To emphasize that Conor is a weak fighter, Nurmagomedov posted on his Twitter a collage of photographs from the fights the Irishman lost.
“He begged me not to kill him, what kind of revenge can we talk about?” — the Russian emphasized in an interview.
Khabib Nurmagomedov: My dream is to improve my health and go against Tony...
Published by Soviet Sport Saturday, April 1, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson
Now Nurmagomedov continues to conquer new heights. In September 2020, the long-awaited champion fight took place. American Dustin Poirier came out against the Russian in Abu Dhabi. The fight continued until the 3rd round, in which the Avar won thanks to a choke hold.
The battle was broadcast live by all leading sports television channels in the world. The Russian's fee amounted to an unprecedented $6 million. In addition to this amount, Nurmagomedov was paid $40 thousand for the promotion of the fight and $50 thousand for the best performance of the evening. His opponent's fee was $290 thousand. Later, the fighters will be paid cash rewards from paid broadcasts.
Respectful relations were established between the rivals. After the fight, Khabib put on Dustin’s T-shirt so that he could put it up for auction and donate all the money to the Good Fight Foundation, which Poirier oversees.
The fight made Khabib Nurmagomedov the most popular blogger on the Runet. In terms of the number of subscribers, the athlete is ahead of Olga Buzova. The Russian’s victory became a holiday for the whole of Dagestan - mass fun began in the republic. People took to the roads to dance, fiery national music flowed from everywhere, neighbors and strangers hugged in the middle of the streets.
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier after the fight UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov took a photo...
Published by AllBoxing.Ru Saturday, September 7, 2020
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier
In the summer of 2019, a conflict broke out between Khabib and American Nate Diaz. At a tournament in Las Vegas, Nate allowed himself harsh remarks against the Russian and his team, after which Nurmagomedov suggested resolving the conflict with his fists, but security managed to stop the fighters. This is not his first personal quarrel with Nate: during the WSOF 22 tournament, the American threw a bottle at Khabib, and it almost ended in a mass brawl.
In February 2020, the athlete topped the rating of mixed-style fighters according to statistics from the Sherdog portal and was recognized as the best in the UFC without regard to weight category.
In April 2020, the fighter will have to defend his title in a fight with American Tony Ferguson. Khabib noted in an interview that he considers his opponent to be the strongest and most dangerous of those with whom he had to deal, so he trains intensively. Fans are looking forward to the meeting between the athletes; the fight has already been postponed four times due to injuries and organizational reasons.
American Floyd Mayweather hinted at a possible meeting with the Russian fighter. He posted information about this on his Instagram. Exactly when the fight will take place has not yet been announced.
Also among the news from Nurmagomedov is his repeated refusal to fight with McGregor, even for a fee of $100 million, which was offered to him by businessmen from Saudi Arabia. The athlete offered to give this money to charitable organizations and stated that he was not interested in the Irishman as a rival.
Nurmagomedov is one of the highest paid Russian athletes
In 2020, Forbes magazine published a list of the highest paid Russian athletes. The rating was topped by Nurmagomedov. According to the publication, Khabib earned $11.5 million in a year.
Nurmagomedov also makes money through advertising. In 2020, Khabib was the face of Toyota and Gorilla energy drink.
The highest paid fight for Nurmagomedov was the fight against McGregor. Khabib received $10 million for his victory over the Irishman.
Biography[ | ]
Khabib Nurmagomedov was born in 1988 in the village of Sildi, Tsumadinsky district of Dagestan. Avar by nationality[9][10].
Since childhood, he trained under the guidance of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. While in the USA, he trains at the AKA gym (American Kickboxing Academy) under the guidance of Javier Mendez[11].
In 2020, he founded his own team “Eagles MMA” together with Ziyavudin Magomedov[12].
On October 12, 2020, Nurmagomedov was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Grozny and was given a car, which was purchased with funds from the Akhmad Kadyrov Foundation. His father and coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was awarded the title of Honored Worker of Physical Culture of Chechnya[13].
On November 6, 2020, Khabib received an award - the Order of Merit for the Republic of Dagestan[14].
Entered the TOP 10 most popular people of 2020 according to Yandex. The ranking included people whose last names were the most popular in search queries in 2020. To compile the rating, data on search queries for the period from January 1 to November 19, 2020 were used[15].
Videos of young Khabib’s comic fight with a bear in his homeland of Dagestan appeared several times on the Internet. The video first appeared on the Internet in 2020, while it is known that Khabib fought with this bear back in 2014 and 2020. These videos extremely outraged the public organization PETA, which demanded that the UFC reconsider its relationship with the current champion until he learns to respect animals[16].
On December 5, 2020, the Head of Dagestan Vladimir Vasiliev presented the Order of Merit for the Republic of Dagestan to Khabib Nurmagomedov for the second time. His father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was also awarded the same award[17].
As of 2020, Nurmagomedov is a third-year student at the G.V. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
Personal life[ | ]
Married, his wife's name is Patimat. The couple studied at the same school in the village of Sildi in Dagestan. The wedding took place in 2013. In June 2015, a daughter, Fatima, was born, and in December 2020, a son was born, who was named Magomed.[18][19]. On December 22, 2020, the third child was born[20].
In 2020, Nurmagomedov twice found himself at the center of scandals
First, Khabib criticized the play “Hunting for Men,” which was shown in Makhachkala on February 23. During the performance, the actors were scantily clad on stage. Nurmagomedov wrote a post on Instagram in which he called “Hunting for Men” “pornography” and demanded that the Dagestan authorities respond to the performance. After this, the actors involved in the play began to receive threats on social networks.
Khabib demanded that the Dagestan authorities punish the organizers of the production and called on the latter to apologize. After Khabib’s statements, one of the actors in the play apologized to the people of Dagestan. Photo: mskcc.ru
In August, Nurmagomedov posted a video on Instagram with a fragment of the concert of the rap duo HammAli & Navai, which took place in Makhachkala in June. The athlete criticized the artists’ work. In September, a performance by singers Yegor Creed and MC Doni from the Black Star label was canceled in Makhachkala. The founder of Black Star, rapper Timati, linked the cancellation of concerts with Nurmagomedov’s statements. Then Timati and Khabib exchanged unpleasant posts on Instagram. The conflict was resolved by the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. He turned to Timati and Nurmagomedov through social networks and asked to stop the showdown.
Khabib got married in 2013
Khabib married the girl Patimat. The young people met in Habib’s native village of Sildi when they were at school. More than 1,200 people came to the wedding of Khabib and Patimat. The girl's face was hidden under the veil. Nurmagomedov adheres to strict Muslim traditions, according to which the beauty of a wife should belong only to her husband.
Conor McGregor insulted Khabib's wife by posting photos from Nurmagomedov's wedding on Twitter and captioning them: "Boy, you married a towel." He soon had to delete the post due to criticism from Muslims. Photo: essentiallysports.com
Nurmagomedov never takes Patimat with him when preparing for fights. Khabib says that his wife distracts him from the training process.
Khabib and Patimat have three children: a daughter and two sons. Nurmagomedov wants his sons to engage in martial arts, but does not yet know whether they will be professional athletes.
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