Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

Dan Hooker on the ‘myth’ of fighting Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov

Dan Hooker believes Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov’s opponents are often intimidated before the fight starts.

[autotag]Dan Hooker[/autotag] believes [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s opponents are often intimidated before the fight starts.

Hooker (24-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) experienced it first hand when he faced current lightweight champion Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) at UFC 267 in October 2021. He was submitted in the first round.

When discussing Charles Oliveira, who was dropped and submitted by Makhachev in their title fight at UFC 280, Hooker explained the mental battle of going up against dominant fighters like Makhachev and Nurmagomedov.

“The myth of it is bigger than the actual task, and they kind of ride off the back of the myth of Khabib, and that’s bled into Makhachev, and you can see it,” Hooker told Submission Radio. “It definitely affected me. It’s bigger than the actual guy. If you just boil it down to the actual guy, it makes it quite a bit simpler.”

Makhachev is expected to make his next title defense in a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan, which is being discussed as the UFC 311 headliner Jan. 18 in Inglewood, Calif. In their first fight, which was Tsarukyan’s UFC debut, Makhachev outgrappled him in a back-and-forth battle.

Hooker predicts their rematch to have a more definitive ending.

“Islam (is) very defensively sound on the feet,” Hooker said. “And I feel like once he has more time to study and break down Arman’s counter-wrestling, I think it will be a more dominant win for Islam in the second fight.”

Since losing to Makhachev, Hooker has won three of his past four, most recently edging out Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 305 in August.

[lawrence-related id=2622891,2616803,1507880,1502954]

Aljamain Sterling: Umar Nurmagomedov shouldn’t ride cousin Khabib’s coattails

Aljamain Sterling thinks Umar Nurmagomedov needs to earn his own stripes in the UFC.

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] believes [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] needs to earn his stripes.

Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), cousin of former undefeated UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag], was declared No. 1 contender after defeating Cory Sandhagen in the UFC on ABC 7 main event this past August. Sandhagen marked Nurmagomedov’s first ranked opponent.

Sterling’s training partner, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC), is having a hard time acknowledging Nurmagomedov as his next title challenger. Dvalishvili says he’s been fast tracked, and Sterling thinks that’s largely in part due to being Khabib’s cousin.

“I’m not saying he’s not good,” Sterling said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I love Umar. I think Umar is a great guy, but facts are the facts. I don’t care what your cousin has done. That does not have any bearing on what you have done for the sport. You’ve got to cut your teeth in this game, not riding the coattails of your family’s merit.

“I always say if I have kids, I want to make sure they’re not riding off the coattails of what I do or have done in my life. I want to make sure they’re out there, they’re being go-getters. I think anyone with any type of real self-worth would want to do that, earn their keep. You don’t want to be feeling like the person who’s just here because you were handed an invite vs. actually earning to be at the table. Earn your seat at the table.”

Dvalishvili had to win 10 fights in a row before earning his shot at the title. He dethroned Sean O’Malley to claim the bantamweight title at UFC 306, and despite telling MMA Junkie that he’d be willing to rematch O’Malley in November over Nurmagomedov, “The Machine” clarified that he’ll end up fighting whoever the UFC offers.

Nurmagomedov is eager to fight before Ramadan, which is expected to start at end of February. If Dvalishvili isn’t ready by then, Nurmagomedov is willing to fight once more, and has been linked to a potential matchup with Song Yadong at UFC 311 on Jan. 18.

[lawrence-related id=2781477,2779090,2778791,2778537]

Daniel Cormier recalls when Khabib Nurmagomedov took issue with him being ‘chummy’ with Conor McGregor

Daniel Cormier values Khabib Nurmagomedov’s loyalty.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] values [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s loyalty.

Former UFC champions Cormier and Nurmagomedov spent years training together at American Kickboxing Academy. Throughout their careers, both partook in two of the biggest rivalries in UFC history.

Cormier and Jon Jones’ bad blood was well documented, and “DC” still doesn’t see a world where they can completely bury the hatchet. Jones heaped praise on Nurmagomedov, and included him in his top five greatest fighters list.

Nurmagomedov respects Jones’ achievements, but said he can’t be friends with him because of his conflict with Cormier (h/t Bloody Elbow). Upon hearing that, Cormier understood just why Nurmagomedov wasn’t happy with him once having a friendly encounter with his arch rival [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

“We as Americans, we as a culture, we don’t abide by those same rules all the time,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “If you are in such a great conflict with someone, as my friend, we as Americans may not see the need to kind of fall in line and feel or operate in the same way. Conor McGregor, who I met back in the day – he was at a couple of fights, and we’ve always been cordial with each other. I don’t really know Conor very well. Khabib and Conor were cordial in the beginning, also, but it became so nasty now that there was that massive build to the fight, the way the fight ended, everything.

“I saw Conor McGregor in Abu Dhabi. I don’t know who he was fighting – maybe it was Dustin Poirier. We were shaking hands, and we were talking a little bit, and were very kind of chummy. And Khabib was like, ‘Brother, I don’t understand this.’ He said, ‘If I see Conor with his wife, I’ll shake his hand because that’s what you’re supposed to do, but brother …’ And I initially kind of fought it, but people close to me said, “He’s right. Look at the stance he’s taken in regards to everyone you deal with. Why in the world would you not take that same stance?'”

Since then, Cormier says he’s taken Nurmagomedov’s words into regard and has changed his attitude toward McGregor.

“I don’t try to request McGregor for interviews,” Cormier continued. “I don’t think that I would get him, but I’m just saying it’s not a request I make every time I’m there. But it’s like par for the course for these dudes because honestly, Khabib’s not just a teammate, he’s family, and they’re like that with everyone.

“And they feel like if someone’s in conflict, especially at the level that Jones and I were in conflict, they’re very stern in the side they pick, and it’s kind of refreshing because most people aren’t like that, guys. They’re just not – especially us as Americans. So watching that wasn’t crazy for me. Dude, he really is the man. Khabib is the man. He’s got to be one of the most genuine humans I’ve ever met, and I don’t know if there’s anything I wouldn’t do for this dude.”

[lawrence-related id=2761334,2746103,2709915,2630762]

Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why UFC fans won’t ever miss him in the cage

Khabib Nurmagomedov again insists there’s no chance he will ever fight, but don’t worry about that.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] insists there’s no chance he will ever return to fighting.

Nurmagomedov, the former undefeated UFC lightweight champion and UFC Hall of Famer, continuously gets asked if he’d contemplate coming out of retirement, but he heavily dismissed that possibility once again.

Nurmagomedov retired in October 2020 after submitting Justin Gaethje to retain his lightweight title. While many wonder what could have been if “The Eagle” continued fighting, Nurmagomedov said there’s no need. He plans on having his legacy live through his proteges, which has already seen [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] claim the UFC lightweight title and defend it three times.

“If you guys need champions, I’m helping my brothers to become champions,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview with iNews. “We have Islam as a champion, we have Umar (Nurmagomedov) as next contender, we have Usman (Nurmagomedov) as champion. We have a lot of champions. You guys are never going to miss me because, in our team and our gym, we create champions. You guys are always going to have champions, don’t worry.”

In an  interview with Ushatayka, Nurmagomedov revealed that Makhachev is looking at January for his next title defense. He didn’t reveal the opponent, but it is expected to be a rematch against Arman Tsarukyan, whom he defeated by decision in April 2019.

“Islam is now not only a champion, he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world,” Nurmagomedov said. “UFC offered us a fight already, in January. We accepted it.”

[lawrence-related id=2769304,2768001,2766508,2766509]

Ailin Perez declares herself ‘Khabib Nurmagomedov of the women’s divisions’ after UFC Fight Night 243

Ailin Perez won, twerked, and called herself the Khabib Nurmagomedov of the UFC women’s divisions.

When all is said and done, [autotag]Ailin Perez[/autotag] wants to be viewed in the same light as one of the all-time UFC greats.

At UFC Fight Night 243, Perez (11-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) submitted [autotag]Dariya Zheleznyakova[/autotag] (9-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) for her fourth promotional win – all in a row. The fight took place on Saturday’s prelims at Accor Arena in Paris and was immediately followed by a twerking celebration.

Her main plan of attack throughout her career has been to drag her opponents down to the ground and figuratively drown them into a TKO or submission. Given their similarities in that regard, Perez continues to be inspired by one UFC legend in particular.

“Is there any doubt? I’m the [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] of the women’s divisions,” Perez said at a post-fight news conference (via Buiten De Kooi). “Every single fight that I’ve had in the UFC, I’ve taken the fighters down. That shows it.”

Perez said she’s seen Nurmagomedov from afar, but never has spoken with him directly. She hopes that changes sometime in the future.

“I’d love to actually speak and meet Khabib,” Perez said. “I’ve seen him a couple times in the PI and being a corner. The couple times I saw him, he looked pretty serious. So I’m hoping one day he sees me and he gives me a smile back.”

[lawrence-related id=2774954,2774945]

From all vantage points, there’s a lot of work to be done before Perez’s name can appear in the same chapter of the UFC’s history book as Khabib’s. In order to take one step closer, Perez knows she’ll need to start racking up wins over notable names.

“Ultimately, the goal is to get from here to the top 10,” Perez said. “But at this point, I’m not going to ask for any names and specifics. I know everyone knows who the top 15 names are. Mick Maynard is doing a great job offering me the right fights for me to win. At this point, I’m just going to take whatever they offer me, and I’m going to keep winning.”

“… I’m really tired of calling all these girls out from the weight class, just for them to try to avoid me or run away. At this point, I’m in the top 15. I have a big name. Anyone who wants to fight me, they know who to ask and that’s Mick Maynard – or the fans.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.

Khabib Nurmagomedov: ‘Usman Nurmagomedov is the future of this sport’

Khabib Nurmagomedov envisions big things for his Bellator MMA champion cousin.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] envisions big things for his cousin [autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Nurmagomedov (17-0) defends his lightweight title against Alexander Shabliy (24-3) in the Bellator Champions Series: San Diego headliner Saturday at Pechanga Arena.

Khabib will be in the corner of Usman, the younger brother of top UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov.

“Usman Nurmagomedov is the future of this sport,” Khabib said in a video posted by Bellator MMA. “Usman is young generation from our gym. Him and me was trained by my father, and now I train him. We spend years and years together in gyms, like, more than 15 years.

“He always was, like, so competitive. That’s why he’s still undefeated, that’s why he’s Bellator lightweight world champion and he defend his title. Next fight he will show and he will prove why he’s one of the best in the world right now.”

[lawrence-related id=2767392,2767038,2761112]

Usman told MMA Junkie he plans on mauling Shabliy and have Khabib wrap the belt around his waist. On paper, Shabliy is expected by many experts to be the toughest test of Usman’s career. Shabliy is on a nine-fight winning streak, including wins over Brent Primus, Tofiq Musayev, and Patricky Pitbull.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: San Diego.

Usman Nurmagomedov vows to ‘maul’ Alexandr Shabliy, have Khabib ‘put the belt around my waist’ at Bellator San Diego

Usman Nurmagomedov will have Khabib in his corner for the first time since becoming champion at Bellator Champion Series: San Diego.

[autotag]Usman Nurmagomedov[/autotag] couldn’t be happier with his preparation for the Bellator Champions Series: San Diego main event, and he thinks it’s going to result in a dominant performance.

Nurmagomedov (17-0) returns to competition for the first time in 11 months Saturday when he puts his lightweight championship on the line against Alexandr Shabliy (24-3) at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, Calif. The entire card streams on Max.

The longest break of Nurmagomedov’s career was a result of a suspension from the California State Athletic Commission after he tested for a banned substance that resulted in his Bellator 300 win over Brent Primus being overturned. He took a prescription medication he claims unknowingly contained a substance that led to the positive test, but has maintained his innocence against any attempt to cheat for performance-enhancing purposes.

With the difficult moment behind him, Nurmagomedov is now looking ahead. He spent the final month of his training camp at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, Calif., and is ready to get back to doing what he does best.

“I love this place because it’s one hour (flight) from San Diego, where I will fight,” Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie. “It’s a very good place for training. Very good people around me. Javier (Mendez), Khabib (Nurmagomedov), my brothers. Everybody is here. Everybody has helped me and I’m ready.”

Nurmagomedov will have an all-star corner for his fight. Mendez, [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] and his brother Umar Nurmagomedov, and that only drives the champion to put on a more spectacular performance.

[lawrence-related id=2767289,2767338]

Khabib has been absent from his cousin’s corner for the past few fights, but Nurmagomedov said his presence has still been felt. It will be special to have him there in person for the first time as a title-fight competitor, though, and Nurmagomedov said it’s his vision to have Khabib wrap the title around him once he wins.

“All the time he was in our corner,” Nurmagomedov said. “Even when (he wasn’t there) and we fight, between rounds he would call to corner us and tell them what we need to do in the fight. People think he went out and he wouldn’t talk about fights, but we all the time talked. He just took some time to enjoy with his family, but now he’s with us and I’m so happy. I hope he’s going to put the belt around my waist. I hope Khabib is going to put the belt on me.”

Nurmagomedov’s bout at Bellator Champions Series: San Diego will be his first since the company was acquired by the PFl. There’s been a litany of changes since the two banners were brought together, with some athletes jumping back-and-forth depending on the circumstances.

The promotional brass haven’t shared much insight on its future plans for someone like Nurmagomedov, and he said he’s not been made privy to how he’ll be used going forward.

“Honestly I don’t know,” Nurmagomedov said. “I didn’t look at the future, but I love these guys from Bellator – all the staff, all of them who give me these opportunities. I just want to say thank you for everybody. I love being in Bellator. I don’t know about the future. I only have one goal: This is to defend my title. But after, we will see.”

For now, Nurmagomedov is focused on the task at hand. Shabliy is far from an easy opponent, and before the PFL-Bellator merger, it was originally meant to be the finals of the Bellator lightweight grand prix.

It’s still a high-stakes title fight, though, and Nurmagomedov’s goal is the same as always: Dominate and keep his undefeated record in tact.

“I think I’m going to maul this guy all five rounds,” Nurmagomedov said. “You can watch this. Enjoy it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event page for Bellator Champions Series: San Diego.

Khabib Nurmagomedov reflects on Conor McGregor rivalry: ‘I just tried to bite his heart’

Khabib Nurmagomedov recalls how he couldn’t wait to get his hands on Conor McGregor after the heated buildup to UFC 229.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] couldn’t wait to get his hands on [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].

Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor to retain his lightweight title in October 2018 at UFC 229, in what to this day is the highest-selling pay-per-view in company history. There was plenty of bad blood between the two, and McGregor ramped up the trash talk to personal, and almost physical, levels. McGregor tried to intimidate Nurmagomedov in the lead-up to his title fight with Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 by throwing a dolly on the UFC fighter bus he was in.

It was there where Nurmagomedov coined his famous phrase, “Send me location.”

“It was like we just signed the contract, and it was like I prayed to God, ‘Please just close the cage and me and him be alone,'” Nurmagomedov said on the “Inspire Me Podcast.” “This is what I really, really wanted at that time. Because you never know: Someone can get injured, something can happen. You never know.

“I was preparing for this fight, and I was waiting for this moment. I was very happy. I remember when I come inside the cage, when the cage closed, I remember I looked at Dana (White) and I said, ‘Today, you cannot protect him.’ Dana asked me what? I said, ‘Today, you cannot protect him.’ He didn’t hear me. ‘It’s OK, after the fight we’ll talk.'”

After Nurmagomedov mauled and submitted McGregor, his hatred for him didn’t stop there. He couldn’t control his emotions as he jumped over the cage to attack McGregor’s corner, and a brawl ensued.

It brought out a side of Nurmagomedov that no one had seen before, but “The Eagle” was eager to send a message.

“It was a very emotional time, but at the same time, it was my feeling,” Nurmagomedov said. “I really wanted to bite someone’s heart. Do you have that feeling in your life? I just tried to bite his heart. Maybe you can feel this. I am ‘The Eagle,’ and when the eagle is hungry, it’s not good. He has to hunt. That’s why when the promotion promotes this fight, they have to expect something.

“When they know me, when they know all my team, when they know we don’t play. We compete; we don’t play. You cannot play MMA. You can play soccer, you can play American football, you can play hockey, but you cannot play MMA. You have to fight. This is a fighting game. A lot of people said it was a very strange or weird or something like this, but it was my decision.”

[lawrence-related id=2761334,2760912,2755848,2599376]

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Only chance Tony Ferguson had to stop me was ‘a lucky punch’

Had they fought, Khabib Nurmagomedov says Tony Ferguson never stood a chance of beating him.

UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] says [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] never stood a chance of beating him.

Ferguson, who was once owner of a 12-fight winning streak, was long considered Nurmagomedov’s biggest threat. They were booked against each other five times, but each one was canceled, leaving their rivalry unsettled.

Ferguson was adamant that he would be the one to hand former UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov his first loss, but “The Eagle” said his style was a nightmare matchup.

“I feel a little bit sad, but at the same time, I always understood that my game is worse for him,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Inspire Me Podcast.” “He doesn’t have wrestling. He doesn’t have grappling. What was he going to do with me? How was he going to stop me? The only chance he had to stop me was with a lucky punch, like with everybody. Like with Conor (McGregor), with (Dustin) Poirier, with Justin Gaethje.

“Everybody talks about like, ‘They can stop him if Khabib is going to get (hit with) lucky punch,’ but other stuff, how are they going to stop me? When he fought with Danny Castillo, (Beneil) Dariush, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, all these guys mauled him. He didn’t have wrestling defense. He didn’t have good grappling. My fighting game was worse for him. I’m a little bit sad, but what we can do?”

After their fifth and final fight cancellation at UFC 249 due to COVID-19 related travel bans, Nurmagomedov and Ferguson’s careers took off in vastly different directions. Ferguson’s winning streak was ended by Justin Gaethje, which kickstarted a UFC-record skid that reached eight fights after his loss to Michael Chiesa earlier this month at UFC on ABC 7.

Nurmagomedov fought only one more time, submitting Gaethje to retain his lightweight title at UFC 254 and retiring immediately afterward.

“I feel a little bit sad, but then time showed who has what level,” Nurmagomedov said.

[lawrence-related id=2759456,2760726,2599174,2587687]

Khabib Nurmagomedov says he contemplated retirement in 2014, but father changed his mind

Khabib Nurmagomedov almost retired because of injuries years before he became UFC champ, but his father showed him tough love.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] considered retiring years before he became UFC champion.

Nurmagomedov’s career was riddled with injuries early on, which kept him out of action for more than two years from 2014 to 2016. It was a frustrating time for undefeated Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) to have to watch the lightweight division move on without him.

In fact, it was so frustrating that Nurmagomedov started questioning if it was God’s plan for himto walk away. However, Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap, made sure that didn’t happen.

“It was hardest time in my career, like professional career, because I remember when I dominated Rafael dos Anjos (and) after that I broke my leg. I had ACL surgery,” Nurmagomedov said on the “Inspire Me Podcast.” “After that, dos Anjos became champion, and I tried to come back. I tore one more time ACL and one more surgery. I tried to come back. I broke my ribs.

“After that I tried to comeback. I had surgery on my back. It was a very hard time, and I remember I was talking with my father, ‘Maybe this is a signal from God you have to stop.’ He told me, ‘You cannot give up. When you have some test you have to show your toughness if you’re tough. If you’re not tough you just can give up, and that’s it.'”

Abdulmanap showed his son tough love. The legendary coach was going to reach his goal no matter what and left the decision to Nurmagomedov on whether or not he will be a part of his story.

“I remember he told me, ‘If you want to go, you have to go,'” Nurmagomedov said. “‘If not, anyways, I’m going to have a UFC champion. With you or without you, I’m going to make someone a UFC champion.’ This gave me like crazy energy. Like if my father wants, who has to do this if I’m not? And this gave me crazy energy. I just keep going, keep going. I just come back and after that, what happened? This is all history.”

Nurmagomedov took his father’s advice and returned in 2016 with vengeance. He captured the UFC lightweight title in 2018 and defended it three times with finishes of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje before retiring in October 2020.

[lawrence-related id=2761334,2760912,2760726,2759227,2743631,2755848]